Growing Sideritis Syriaca

History and Uses

• S. syriaca, also called shepherd’s tea, has figured in local herbal remedies for more than 2,400 years. According to “The Saturday Evening Post,” Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician known as the father of modern medicine, wrote about the healing benefits of S. syriaca in 400 B.C. In Greece, the flowers and foliage are dried, steeped and mixed with spices and honey to create a flavorful tea thought to have calming, diuretic, digestive and antioxidant properties. A 2006 study from Athens University suggests that the plant may provide an effective treatment for osteoporosis, and results from a preliminary study at the University of Chieti in Italy, reported in 2005 in the "Journal of Medicinal Food," suggest that S. syriaca may possess anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.

Characteristics

• S. syriaca grows as a perennial, dying back to the ground during the winter and regenerating when the temperatures rise in the spring. This hardy plant grows in thick mounds, reaching heights from 16 to 18 inches. It has lance-shaped, 2-inch-long foliage covered with wooly white hair. In the summer, it blooms with clusters of small, yellow, hermaphroditic -- both male and female -- flowers atop narrow stalks.

Propagation

• The easiest way to propagate S. syriaca is by sowing seed indoors in the spring. When seedlings grow to a few inches tall, transplant them into individual pots and move them outdoors. Bring the plants back inside before it frosts and keep them indoors over the winter. Transplant the 1-year-old plants into the soil in late spring or early summer, after the danger of frost has passed. Divide established plants in the spring.

Cultural Preferences

• S. syriaca is hardy to USDA Plant Hardiness zone 8, which encompasses regions that experience average annual low temperatures to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. It grows best in full sun, or sites that receive direct sunlight for at least six hours per day between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Once established, S. syriaca tolerates drought; in fact, this tough plant’s native range includes hot, dry, rocky sites. It grows best in well-drained soil, so make sure that your S. syriaca’s site has excellent drainage. Amend the soil with rich, organic matter -- such as compost or peat moss -- to ensure that your plant receives enough nutrients. Before planting, test the soil’s pH level. S. syriaca prefers slightly alkaline soil -- or a pH level higher than 7.0 -- so work a bit of lime into the soil if necessary.