Sideritis syriaca

Description

Family:  Mint (Lamiaceae)                                                                                                                                                                  North Greek Mountain Tea, Ironwort

Woody perennial growing to 18 inches, native to Bulgaria, Greece, and Yugoslavia.  A comely plant, highly desired for those of us blessed with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winter traditional usage: colds, depression, and restless insomnia.

For best results, sow seeds in good light at any time onto a good soil-based compost. Cover the seeds with fine grit or compost to approximately their own depth. Germination takes from 10 days to 3 months approx. Once germinated grow on in cooler conditions, 15°C. Acclimatize and plant out after the danger of frost has passed. Directly, sow into prepared soil which has been raked to a fine tilth. Sow 10mm deep and with a 20cm spacing, thin to a final spacing of 60cm. It prefers poor soil and is unlikely to do well in rich soil. Prefers dry soil in full sun.