Scientific Family
Lamiaceae
Other common names
American germander
hairy germander
hairy germander
wood sage
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Similar species
Teucrium canadense var. canadense
Height
To about 3 feet
Riparian
Yes
Colony-forming plant with erect, squarish stems branched near the flower spikes. Sharply pointed narrow leaves and have a distinctive web-like vein pattern. A spikey cluster of pink to purplish or white lip-like flowers grows at the top of downy stems.
Rhizomatous; stems to 3 feet, branched near flower spikes of flowers; leaves have serrated margins, elliptic to lance-like, darker green above, narrow at base; herbage finely hairy; flowers several per node, upper lip very short, white, pink to purplish.
Habitat
Found in moist grasslands, at the edges of forests and marshes (waterlogged low-lying land), in thickets (dense groups of bushes or small trees), wet meadows, along streams, on wasteland, beside roadside ditches and railroad tracks.
Plant Community
Riparian
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Disturbed Areas
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
2400
High elevation
4500
Flower Characteristics
Each flower is 3/4 inch long with 2 projections or "lips", a long purple-spotted lower lip and a very short upper lip that is divided into 2 pointed lobes. 3 or 4 purple-tipped stamens arch over the upper lip. Below each flower are 5 leaf-like sepals.
Flower color
White, pink to purplish
Flower shape
Irregular
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
May
Last bloom month
October
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves are often lance-like but may be egg-shaped. Those on the the lower stalk have stems but on the upper stalk they are stem free. Leaves are deeply veined, jagged around the edges, often rounded at the base, to 5 inches long and 2-1/2 inches wide.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Toothed
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Fruits are dry, 1/16 of an inch long and wide with scattered white hairs and rough indentations on their surface. The fruit consists of 4 1-seeded nutlets that are nearly fused together. The mature fruit does not split open to release the seed.
Fruit type
Nutlet
Fruit color
Yellowish-brown
Seeds are about 1/16 of an inch, roundish and have light brown color.