Teucrium ackermannii

[John85]

How does yours look after this uncommon winter?Mine looks bad but not totally dead.It grows in good drained soil in the rock garden and was protected with a cloche.How much frost can it really withstand without damage?Here we had a few nights -8°c

[Maggi Young]

I must confess that these (Teucrium) are not plants that I have much cared for..... even after seeing posts like Tim's from last year, where I think I should get interested, I have none...... 

I like the foliage but the thought of unpleasantly scented flowers is enough to put me off. 

Forgive me, John, I know you like this plant.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Mine looks unharmed John (as opposed to many other plants...  ) 
It's in a very exposed area on top of a small mound - we had -10°C in the past frost period.

[Lesley Cox]

oes anyone get seed from this plant? It's one I lost several years ago, in a house move I think. I'd really love to have it again.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I'll have a look if there is any of last year's seed left on the plant Lesley... if not, we'll have to await the coming flowering season ! 

[Lesley Cox]

I'll have a look if there is any of last year's seed left on the plant Lesley... if not, we'll have to await the coming flowering season ! 

That would be appreciated Luc.

[TheOnionMan]

I must confess that these (Teucrium) are not plants that I have much cared for..... even after seeing posts like Tim's from last year, where I think I should get interested, I have none...... 

I like the foliage but the thought of unpleasantly scented flowers is enough to put me off. 

Forgive me, John, I know you like this plant.

Maggi, what are the flowers scented like?  Oops, nevermind; just searched and found this description of this Teucrium's aroma from Lesley:

"The foliage of Teucrium ackermannii is deliciously perfumed while the flowers smell like sewage" 
http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=7806.msg214304#msg214304

[Stephenb]

...usually pronounced Teucrium yuckermanii   

[Lesley Cox]

 

I still like the plant - and you don't HAVE to bury your nose in the flowers. In fact you can squeeze your nose shut as you walk by.

[TheOnionMan]

I still like the plant - and you don't HAVE to bury your nose in the flowers. In fact you can squeeze your nose shut as you walk by.

Now I'm curious to sample the scent (stench; all one needs to do is work in an "h" to scent to arrive at stench ) of this Teucrium.  I find the whole topic of plant aromas fascinating, why there are certain common scents found among plants, yet sometimes one comes across utterly unique scents, and I wonder why that plant evolved to have that unique quality.  

I'm aware that many malodorous aroids attract flies as pollinators, but why a sewage smell from the Teucrium, unless it too attracts flies for pollination.  And while pondering fragrancy and fetor, I wonder why many lovely Codonopsis have fetid or skunky scented flowers; for the 6 or so years I grew the beautiful C. lanceolata, whose intricately marked egg-shaped bells wafted a faint fetid odor only at close hand, one had to be careful not to get a wasp sting on one's nose, as invariably there would be a wasp or two inside each flower!

By the way Stephen, I've looked and looked, but nowhere can I find your Teucrium yuckermanii 

[Lesley Cox]

And why do the flowers smell so awful while the leaves smell so good, tho' you do have to touch or squeeze them to get the scent, as you would a lavender or rosemary.

Mark I have some lovely fresh seed of Codonopsis lanceolata from Chris Chadwell, just arrived this morning, if you'd like to try it again. If so, PM me your address.

[John85]

The insects are probably not receptive to the same molecuies as we are, just as the bees see a different picture of a flower as they see UV light but not the reds.Smells are often compounds.If certain molecules are not percepted and others that we don't smell are ,the result will be completely different.
Even among people the perception changes during a lifetime:certain smells being lost while aging.