Clinopodium brownei (Browne’s Savory)

Description

Extremely aromatic native evergreen  groundcover bloooms year-round attracting bees and small butterflies. A refreshing tea can be made from the leaves. The stems and leaves can be rubbed on your skin to repel ants and fleas, or in the house to repel ants.  In stronger doses, it is medicinal.  Thrives in average to wet soil in sun or part shade. Tolerates occasional salt flooding. Extremely deer resistant. We propagated our plants from a native population that I found in Beaufort Co., SC in the early 2000’s. I was driving through a recently mown field with my window open,  when I was overcome by the  smell of York Peppermint Patties. I stopped the truck and searched for the source. This was the first time this species had been reported from SC. It was also the most northeastern occurrence for the species. Tolerates mowing and foot traffic.