Water Germander
Teucrium scordium
This freshwater plant is classified as Vulnerable in the UK.
Description/identification
Water Germander are recognised by their small whorls of pink/purple flowers which can grow up to 1cm in length and bloom from June to October. Its green leaves are covered in soft hairs and smell like garlic when crushed.
Historically it was used for medicinal purposes and was thought to have a ‘peculiar antiseptic power’.
Habitat
Water Germander is found in a range of damp habitats including fens, ponds, lake margins and on calcareous soils at river banks and ditches. They’re generally found in areas of short vegetation in open areas.
Distribution and threats
It only grows in very few lowland sites in central, south-west and east of England as well as north-west Wales.
Lack of land management, land drainage, scrub encroachment and shading are all threats to the Water Germander. It is classified as Vulnerable in the UK and protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.