Description
Ballota –
There are about 35 species of clump or mat forming perennials and evergreen or deciduous subshrubs, in this genus. They occur from rocky and waste ground in the Mediterranean, Europe and Western Asia. The leaves are opposite mostly round3ed and bluntly toothed and aromatic sometimes unpleasantly so. From leafy spikes it bears whorls of small, 2 lipped flowers, often with prominent, star shaped calyces. Was used in folk medicine. Grow in a sunny border and rockeries.
Grow in poor, dry, well drained soil in full sun. Cut back subshrubs in spring to keep compact. Divide perennials in spring.
B. acetabulosa – This compact, bushy evergreen subshrub from Southeastern Greece and Western Turkey grows 24-30″ tall and 30″ wide. From spreading to upright, white woolly shoots it carries downy, heart shaped, rounded toothed, gray-green leaves, to 2″ long. In mid and late summer it bears small 2 lipped white marked, purple-pink flowers, to 3/4″ long, with open funnel shaped pale green calyces, to 3/4″ across.
Zones 8-10
