Bloomipedia
American germander (Teucrium canadense)
Photo: Ken Clark via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

American germander

Teucrium canadense

American germander (Teucrium canadense) is a flowering plant in the Lamiaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

American germander is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 8 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.

48states where USDA records it
8Bloomipedia state lists include it
30,008U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas

Quick look

Teucrium canadense, commonly known as Canada germander, American germander, or wood sage, is a perennial herb in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to North America where it is found across the contiguous states of the United States and in much of Canada.

  • It belongs to the Lamiaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 48 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. iNaturalist
  • In Illinois, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as purple. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as summer. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 3.3 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 7,419 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #86 among the 169 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,950 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #98 among the 180 flowers on our Illinois list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,314 research-grade sightings of it in Missouri, ranking #44 among the 177 flowers on our Missouri list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (3,116 records)
Bloom time in the 8 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
TexasNativeApril–July7,419
IllinoisNativeJune–July1,950
MissouriNativeJune–July1,314
OklahomaNativeJune–August913
IowaNativeJuly–August775
KansasNativefew records (18)703
ArkansasNativeJune–August611
NebraskaNativefew records (14)267

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 5 of our 8 states.
See each state
Texas
Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
Illinois
Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Illinois. IL E&T checklist 2025
Missouri
Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. 3 CSR 10-4.111
Iowa
Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S5, secure in Iowa. IAC 571-77.3
Nebraska
Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. 163 NAC 4-004
Oklahoma
No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
Kansas
No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Kansas.
Arkansas
No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: ID (S2), NV (S1), WY (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records American germander in 48 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.

Texas counties with USDA records: Anderson, Angelina, Aransas, Bell, Bexar, Bowie, Brazoria, Brazos, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cameron, Cass, Chambers, Colorado, Dallas, Delta, Ellis, Erath, Fayette, Freestone, Galveston, Gonzales, Gray, Grayson, Gregg, Harris, Harrison, Hays, Hemphill, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hunt, Hutchinson, Jackson, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jim Wells, Johnson, Kendall, Kerr, Kleberg, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Llano, Marion, Martin, Mason, McLennan, Medina, Menard, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Nueces, Panola, Parker, Polk, Randall, Red River, Roberts, Robertson, San Patricio, San Saba, Somervell, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Travis, Upshur, Uvalde, Val Verde, Walker, Waller, Washington, Wichita, Williamson.

Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Alexander, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, De Witt, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lawrence, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Massac, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Rock Island, Saline, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Union, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Wayne, White, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, Winnebago, Woodford.

Missouri counties with USDA records: Andrew, Atchison, Audrain, Barry, Barton, Bates, Benton, Boone, Buchanan, Butler, Caldwell, Callaway, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carroll, Carter, Cass, Cedar, Chariton, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cole, Cooper, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, DeKalb, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, Gentry, Greene, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Holt, Howard, Howell, Iron, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Laclede, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Madison, Maries, Marion, McDonald, Mercer, Miller, Mississippi, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, New Madrid, Newton, Nodaway, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Pemiscot, Perry, Pettis, Phelps, Pike, Platte, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Ray, Reynolds, Ripley, Saline, Schuyler, Scott, Shannon, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Stoddard, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Worth, Wright.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives American germander a medium shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and high moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.5 to 8.0 and winter lows down to -43 °F.

Shade tolerance
Medium
Drought tolerance
Low
Moisture use
High
Soil textures it is adapted to
medium, fine
Soil pH range
4.5 to 8.0
Minimum temperature tolerated
-43 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum)
120
Annual precipitation range
20 to 60 inches
Minimum root depth
4 inches
Salinity tolerance
Low
Fertility requirement
Medium
Growth rate
Moderate
Lifespan
Moderate
Active growth period
Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed
Brown · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by
bulb, container, seed
Commercial availability
Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for TECA3. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 1559 counties across 42 states; the most are in Missouri (108), Illinois (102), Virginia (94).

More from the Lamiaceae family (44 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common selfheal, Ground-ivy, Red deadnettle, American beautyberry, Henbit deadnettle, Wild bergamot, Lyreleaf sage, Common motherwort.

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Sources