American Germander

Teucrium canadense, commonly known as American germander or Canada germander, is a woody-based, clump-forming, rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial of the mint family. Each plant typically consists of a single (usually unbranched), stout, hollow, hairy, square stem to 18-36” tall clad with opposite leaves and topped in summer by a terminal spike of purplish-pink flowers. It is native to moist woods, thickets and marshes in eastern and central North America. It is typically found in prairies, wet meadows, low woodlands, thickets, fields, and along streams/railroads. Additional common names include wood sage and wild basil.

Lanceolate to narrow-ovate, coarsely-toothed, sharply-pointed, short-stalked, aromatic-when-crushed leaves (2-5” long) are smooth to soft-hairy above and grayish-hairy beneath. Leaves have distinctive reticulated veins. Two-lipped, purplish-pink flowers (2/3” long) bloom in long narrow upright terminal clusters (spike-like racemes to 2-8” long) from mid June to September. Flowers lack fragrance. Flowers are distinctive in that the upper lip is almost absent but 4 stamens project outward through the cleft. The lower lip has three lobes (typical of the mint family) with a large central lobe and two smaller rounded side lobes. Flowers give way to rounded yellowish-brown seeds (nutlets).

Native Americans used the leaves to make medicinal teas. Leaves were also steeped in water for use in healing sores and ulcers of the skin.

Genus name honors Teucher, the first king of Troy, who first used one of the species in medicine to relieve stomach pain and gout.

Specific epithet is in reference to this plant being native in part to Canada.