Germander
Teucrium canadense

Other Names: American Germander, Candad Germander, Creeping Germander, Western Germander, Wild Germander, Wood-sage

Habitat: (Teucrium canadense) Perennial herb native to Eastern N. America from Nova Scotia to Florida and Mexico. Found growing in deep silty clay soils, moist woods, in meadows, along streams, thickets. Cultivation: Germander prefers full sun in any moderately good well-drained soil, propagated by seeds or by cuttings taken in spring or summer, and by division of roots, in the autumn. The roots are long, slender rhizomes. Stems are erect, branched, square (Mint Family) and hairy, 4 or 5 feet tall. Leaves are opposite, simple, lanceolate, serrate, tapering to a rounded base on short petiole. The flowers are pinklish, tubular and two lipped, but the top lip is inset or absent, the lower lip has 3-lobes, they are in terminal spikes, the spikes up to 8 inches long. Flowers bloom from June thru September. Gather above ground plants, when flowers are in bloom, dry for later herb use. No edible information is available.

Properties: A medicinal infusion of the leaves and flowers is diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, stimulate and astringent tonic. Germands tonic and diaphoretic actions make it an excellent remedy for inflammatory diseases. Medicinal herb tea is used for skin affections and blood diseases, stimulates the flow of urine for the removal of waste by the kidneys. Medicinal infusion used for fevers, and inflammations, due to the flu and colds, it is also used to encourage delayed menstruation (emmenagogue). The leaves are crushed and applied externally to cuts and scrapes as an antiseptic. The plant is also used as an adulterant, added to commercial supplies of skullcap, Scutellaria lateriflora.

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Folklore: Germander was at one time used as an antidote for poisons and also as an antiseptic and anthelmintic.

TRY THIS RECIPE

Medicinal herb tea: To 2 tbls. dried herb add 1 pint boiling water steep for 10 min. take in teacup doses thru the day.