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California Yerba Santa
Eriodictyon californicum
  
17 Nurseries Carry This Plant

About California Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum) 17 Nurseries Carry This Plant California Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum) is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae (Borage) family. This shrub is found in central to northern California and Oregon, where it grows in several types of habitat, including chaparral and forest.

The smaller branches and foliage are coated in a sticky resin and are often dusted with black fungi. The narrow, long leaves are somewhat lance-shaped and up to 6 inches long. Its leaves have an odor generally considered unpleasant, plus a bitter taste, which makes them unpalatable to most animals.

The inflorescence is a cluster of small bell-shaped white to purplish flowers. It spreads underground by rhizomes and can become competitive with other plants. It has been used as a general-purpose medicinal plant.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
3.3 - 9.8 ft tall
3 ft wide

Form
Form
Upright

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast, Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Unpleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Purple, Blue, Pink, White

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
The flowers are attractive to many insects, especially bees.

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 4 confirmed , 1 likely * ) SHOW ALL
Callophrys augustinus Image
The Brown Elfin Callophrys augustinusCallophrys augustinus
Archips argyrospila Image
Fruit-Tree Leafroller Moth Archips argyrospilaArchips argyrospila
Coelopoeta glutinosi Image
Coelopoeta glutinosiCoelopoeta glutinosi
Ethmia arctostaphylella Image
Ethmia arctostaphylellaEthmia arctostaphylella
*
Argyrotaenia franciscana Image
Orange Tortrix Moth Argyrotaenia franciscanaArgyrotaenia franciscana

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries
Carried by 17

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 5° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerates a variety of soils as long as good drainage is provided. Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 5.5 - 7.6

Common uses
Common uses
Hedges, Deer Resistant, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Grows in the wild with Foothill Pine (Pinus sabiniana), Whiteleaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos viscida), Hollyleaf Redberry (Rhamnus ilicifolia), Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica), Interior Live Oak (Quercus wislizenii), Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides), Buck Brush (Ceanothus cuneatus), and Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii). In the garden, it can be used with a variety of other chaparral shrubs.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
7*, 8*, 9*, 14*, 15, 16, 17, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Slopes and flats

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 6.1" - 166.8", Summer Precipitation: 0.18" - 4.64", Coldest Month: 28.1" - 51.8", Hottest Month: 54.9" - 79.5", Humidity: 0.19" - 28.81", Elevation: -261" - 7883"

Alternative Names
Botanical Names: Wigandia californica
Common Names: California Mountain Balm Yerba Santa


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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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