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Sideritis oroteneriffae (Canary Island White Sage) - A small upright growing evergreen subshrub reaching to 3 to 5 feet tall with stems and thick arrowhead shaped leaves all covered with a velvety white hairs, giving the entire plant a silver-gray look. In summer appear slender arching stems bearing tight clusters of velvety white buds that open to expose small pale-yellow flowers.
Plant in full to part sun in a well-drained soil and irrigate occasionally to very little (if at all!). Reportedly hardy to around 20 °F and resistant to deer predation. The flowers are not really showy but all else about this plant is and it makes a great low water using plant for the dry, or rock garden and nice in a large container contrasted against darker or red foliage plants.
Sideritis oroteneriffae is endemic to Tenerife Island in the Canary Islands where it is found in the higher elevation central area in a pine forest zone. The name for the genus comes from the Greek word 'sideros' meaning "iron" and is thought to be a reference to the use of such plants in the treatment of wounds caused by swords and other iron weapons, though there is some thought that the name is a reference to the shield-like shape of flower sepals. The specific epithet comes from the mountainous area of the island of Tenerife - the name Tenerife itself was derived from the Benehaorits (the natives of nearby La Palma) words 'Tene' meaning "mountain" and 'ife' meaning white with the Spanish later adding the connection "r". We got this great plant from Annie's Annuals in Richmond, California in September 2015 and sold it from 2018 until 2023.
Information displayed on this page about Sideritis oroteneriffae is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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