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 #3-4 by CJH.

Yerba Santa, California
Yerba Santa, California
Yerba Santa, California
Yerba Santa, California

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.