SPANISH MOUNTAIN TEA SEEDS

Sideritis hyssopifolia

The mountain tea of the Iberian peninsula. The foliage is more sparse than that of Greek or Balkan mountain teas, and is indeed reminiscent of hyssop, with smooth rather than pubescent foliage, but with the same charactaristic chartreuse bracts and yellow flowers of the more common species in the genus. Grows to just over 1' in bloom. Requires sun and drainage. Hardy to zone 5b given ideal conditions. Worth growing for purely aesthetic reasons. Very nice planted alongside lavender in the herb garden.

Seeds germinate best with light scarification and/or stratification. Press seeds into pots of moist soil, barely cover with fine vermiculite and mist generously. Cover with plastic to maintain moisture. Pop into the refrigerator for two to three weeks or so before returning to room temperature in bright light to germinate within a couple weeks. Prick out seedlings to grow on in individual 3" pots in bright light at warm room temperature. Allow soil to dry out slightly between waterings to encourage root development. Harden off thoroughly before transplanting into warm sharply drained soils in full sun.

Harvest plants in bloom and dry for tea. This species is among those traditionally used in the Pyrenees for herbal liquors and digestive remedies. Plants become quite woody with age. Take care to save at least a few seeds each year so that plants can be replaced as necessary. Rare and lovely.

Packet contains at least 20 seeds.