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| Category: Shrub |
| Family: Lamiaceae (Labiatae) (Mints) |
| Origin: Greece (Europe) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: White |
| Bloomtime: Summer |
| Height: 1-2 feet |
| Width: 2-3 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 0-10° F |
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Ballota pseudodictamnus (Grecian Horehound) - This dense small shrub 12 to 18 inches tall and flowing out to more than 3 feet wide with fuzzy rounded 1 inch gray-green soft wooly leaves paired up along the stem. Although inconspicuous, the small white flowers with purple in the throat rise in interrupted clusters at the foliage tips during summer. Some recommend shearing the flowers to maintain clean foliage look but we don’t find the flowers that detracting. Plant in full sun in most any soil that has fairly good drainage. Water occasionally to infrequently – a very drought tolerant plant . Hardy to around at least 10° F and tolerant of near coastal conditions. A good plant in a raised bed or rock garden and combines well with succulents with the foliage particularly attractive after a light rain or in the morning when the leaves catch and display drops of moisture. Stays quite low if kept dry but if becomes a little too big can be pruned back hard in the spring and seems resistant to predation by deer and rabbit but is attractive to bees, bumblebees and beneficial insects. Grecian Horehound is native to western Turkey and the Aegean islands where it grows on limestone. The name for the genus was the ancient Greek name first given to the black Horehound, Ballota nigra and the specific epithet means "false Dittany" in reference to its resemblance to plants in the genus Dictamnus. Ballota is closely related to Marrubium, the true Horehounds and some authors have listed it as Marrubium pseudodictamnus. This plant received the Royal Horticultural Societies prestigious Award of Garden Merit in 1993. We have grown this great plant since receiving it from H-Mark Nursery in 1991.
This information about Ballota pseudodictamnus displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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