Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Bush Germander
Bush Germander is a Mediterranean evergreen shrub with silvery grey-green, aromatic leaves and small blue to lavender flowers much of the year. It grows about 4 to 8 feet tall and takes shearing well, so it can be kept as a clipped hedge or left loose. It thrives in hot weather and rocky soil on little water, and bees visit the flowers. Use it on banks and slopes, as a hedge or in a mixed bed.
Best for: clipped or informal hedges, banks and slopes, mixed beds, and bee-friendly yards that run on little water.
It responds well to shearing and can be clipped into a neat hedge. Left alone, it grows into a loose, silvery shrub about 4 to 8 feet tall.
It thrives in hot weather and rocky soil, so it suits banks, slopes and rock gardens. Once rooted, it gets by on little water.
Its aromatic, silvery gray-green leaves carry small blue to lavender flowers for much of the year, and bees visit the flowers.
It needs soil that drains well, so avoid low spots where water stands. Unsheared, it grows about 5 to 8 feet wide, so in a small space plan on clipping it regularly.
- Clipped hedge12-18 in apart
Water a new plant every 2 to 4 days for the first few weeks, then stretch the time between waterings. Once it is rooted, it needs little extra water.
It responds well to shearing and can be clipped into a hedge or a more compact shape. Clip it lightly if you want to keep some of the flowers.
Plant it in full sun. It thrives in hot weather, so your sunniest bed suits it.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Bush Germander get?
Left unsheared, it grows about 4 to 8 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide. Shear it regularly to keep it smaller and denser.
Can I shear Bush Germander into a hedge?
Yes. It responds well to shearing and can be clipped into a hedge or a more compact shape.
When does it bloom?
It blooms much of the year with small blue to lavender flowers, and bees visit them. Clip it lightly if you want a tidy shape without losing all the flowers.
Are the leaves fragrant?
Yes. The silvery grey-green leaves are aromatic, so plant it where you brush past it on a path.
How often should I water it?
It needs little water once rooted, so let the soil dry between deep soakings. Plant it in soil that drains well.
Does it like the heat?
Yes. It thrives in hot weather and full sun, so give it your sunniest bed.
What soil does it need?
It needs soil that drains well, and it thrives in rocky soil and alkaline desert soil. Avoid low spots where water stands.
How cold hardy is Bush Germander?
It is rated hardy to about 10°F, so it needs no frost cover in a normal Valley winter.
Is it evergreen?
Yes. It keeps its silvery leaves all year, which makes it a good year-round hedge.
Bush Germander for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Bush Germander is a Mediterranean shrub grown for its silvery aromatic leaves, its long run of blue to lavender flowers and how well it takes shearing. It thrives in heat and rocky soil on little water. This page covers its size, bloom, hedging, watering and cold hardiness.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
How big does Bush Germander get in Arizona?
Left unsheared, it grows about 4 to 8 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide. Shearing keeps it smaller and denser.
Is Bush Germander good for a hedge?
Yes. It responds well to shearing and can be clipped into a hedge. It also works as a loose, informal shrub.
When does Bush Germander bloom?
It blooms much of the year with small blue to lavender flowers, and bees visit them often.
How often do you water Bush Germander?
It needs little water once rooted and thrives in hot weather. Let the soil dry between deep soakings, and plant it in soil that drains well.
Where should you plant Bush Germander?
Plant it in full sun in soil that drains well. It thrives in rocky soil, so banks, slopes and rock gardens suit it.
Bush Germander vs Trailing Germander
Bush Germander is a silvery shrub about 4 to 8 feet tall. Trailing Germander is a low, dark green groundcover about a foot tall. Both are Mediterranean germanders that draw bees.
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