This horehound demands to petted

This is one part in a weekly series featuring the UC Davis Arboretum’s “Garden Gems” series – 45 can’t-fail, easy-care, low-water plants well adapted to our region and that add sparkle to drought-tolerant landscapes.

Albanian horehound

Marrubium cylleneum

Size: 6 to 12 inches tall and up to two feet wide

Bloom season: Delicate lavender blooms in whorls in summer.

Exposure: Full sun.

Pruning needs: Remove spent flowers after bloom.

Water needs: Low; once established, water once a month. In summer, it needs little water and can get by without irrigation.

Snapshot: This Mediterranean native with a funny name is a lovely addition to dry gardens. A low-growing perennial, horehound features attractive, fuzzy, silver-green foliage that demands to be touched. In summer, it produces foot-tall spikes of lavender flowers. Horehound makes a lovely border, perfect for along paths and at the front of plantings where you can appreciate the soft leaves.

For more on “Garden Gems,” click on arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

This story was originally published September 22, 2017 at 2:00 PM with the headline "This horehound demands to petted."