Another Call for Help with an Herb?

[vfem]

So I have a friend who is growing a huge garden of herbs passed down from her mother who has long passed. One of the herbs in the garden has us confused and we just can't figure out what it is.

What I can tell you, if at first everyone thought it was a type of tansy. Its not. This plant grows like a bush, only has 1 flower head per stem and the leaves on the branches remind me of rosemary or a textured evergreen tree. In fact it does grow very happy very close to a rosemary bush.

And the smell.... WOW! As soon as I smelt it, it smells like Robitussin DM all day long! total cough syrup smell.

I can get you more info if I get a change, but here a pictures of some of the stems and the flowers. The flowers are the size of buttons.

 

[bj taylor]

are the stems square?

 

[vfem]

No, the stems are round.

I'm wondering if its from the tansy family. :/ Just does look like the common ones I've seen. I've had a few friends helping me look into it as well. I've been thumbing through my "Herb and Spice Companion Guide", that book is WONDERFUL but I haven't come across it in there either.

I'm totally stumped.

Again, the base of it is really woody and the appearance without the flowers is similar to rosemary because of the woody stems the leaves and flowers grow from.

 

[vfem]

This is the closest I have found... what do you think? I'm going to go look at the plant again:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cota_tinctoria

 

[bj taylor]

the thing that would make me doubt this is they make no mention of scent. you mention a very distinct strong scent.
the stems sure are reminiscent of rosemary.
it's going to be interesting when you get this nailed.

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

Is it Santolina? Many different pictures if you google it. They all look a bit different but maybe?

 

[bj taylor]

if the flower is yellow it sure could be santolina. there is a green variety (I have the silver). the smell is very definitely like what you are describing. I bet you nailed it.

 

[vfem]

Well the leaves aren't the silver variety I saw pictures for, but if there is a green variety it sure does look like it!!!



Fingers crossed!!!