Teucriums are splendidly versatile mediterraneans. Many attractive species are Mediterranean-basin natives, perfectly happy with long dry summers and cool wet winters. Teucrium brevifolium is a charmer – at least in the growing season (in summer it sheds its leaves and aestivates as a bundle of twigs). Others to note might include Teucrium alpestre, T. aureum, pink-flowered T. divaricatum, T. lusitanicum, T. luteum, T. marum and T. microphyllum, and there are plenty more for the enthusiast to track down. By far the best known are T. fruticans and T. chamaedrys. These, particularly the very variable T. fruticans which is now available in quite a wide range of cultivars, are really useful as single shrubs, as ground cover or as hedging, either informal or (as quite common in older Mediterranean gardens) clipped to strict formal shape.
Teucrium fruticans grows quickly to establish a dense mass twiggy generously glad in green, grey-green or blue-green foliage, excellent protection for nesting birds. If a bush gets out of hand you can cut it back to the ground and it will regrow without complaint. Very unkeen on topiary ourselves, we attacked a bush of ours a few years ago in a half-joking attempt to produce some sort of globe, but as you can see our skill with the shears wasn’t quite sufficient! So that bush, later cut to the ground, is now a much more modest size.