Namaceae: Nama Family
California Yerba Santa – Eriodictyon californicum
Blooms:
Apr – Jul
Plant Height:
0.6 – 2.5 m
Flower Size:
Medium
Origin:
Native
Habitat:
Dry slopes
Notes: This shrub has clusters of funnel-shaped white to purplish flowers, 6–10 mm long. The leaves are up to 15 cm, narrow, oblong to lanceolate, entire or toothed. The leaves may be covered in a sticky resin, which can appear black from a fungus. Photos #2 – 4 by CJH.
Woolly Yerba Santa – Eriodictyon tomentosum
Blooms:
May – July
Plant Height:
1 – 3 m
Flower Size:
Small cluster
Origin:
Native
Habitat:
Dry slopes, mainly inland and in Santa Lucias
Notes: Like California Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum, see above), this is a shrub with leaves about the same size and shape, but is otherwise quite different. Both twigs and leaves are covered in dense white-woolly hairs giving it a silvery-blue to -gray appearance. Leaves are entire to coarsely toothed. Flowers are in dense fuzzy bunches of coiled, tiny, very light lavender to white, glandular, urn-shaped flowers.