Teucrium polium aka Poley

Teucrium polium is a small woody plant in the mint family. The family's name is Lamiaceae. Kew gives its native range as the western Mediterranean. Kew also places it in a subtropical climate. The RHS says it is not native to Britain or Ireland. Its common names include felty germander and golden germander. Some call it cat thyme or golden poly. Other names are poly germander and yellow poly. The RHS lists Teucrium gnaphalodes as another name for it. All these names refer to the species described here.

Kew calls this plant a subshrub: a low, woody plant. Chicago Botanic Garden calls it a perennial with a mound shape. This means it lives for more than one year. Both accounts describe a lasting plant with a low, woody form. Its mound suits beds and borders. Neither source gives its full height or spread. Thus, these sources give no size range for garden plants. The supplied species accounts give no bark or stem details. They do not describe leaf shape, feel, or scent. The RHS gives traits for the whole genus, not this species.

Chicago Botanic Garden lists white and lavender flowers for this species. The listed bloom times run from July through October. At that garden, flowers thus span summer to autumn. The record does not say if blooms last without a break. It gives no separate season for each flower colour. The same source says that butterflies visit the plant. These visits add wildlife interest in beds and borders. The supplied accounts do not describe its fruit or seeds.

Chicago Botanic Garden says to grow it in full sun. It lists USDA zones 5–9 for this plant. Its extracted care record says it needs a moderate amount of water. The evidence does not state soil texture or soil pH. Nor does it give clear help on pruning or feeding. The Chicago page is an archive. Updates stopped before February 2022. Its garden record backs the bloom, site, and hardiness details above. The supplied sources name no pests or diseases for this species. They give no species-level facts on food use or toxic effects. These gaps do not prove that the plant is safe.