Eriodictyon californicum

Common Names

Yerba Santa, California Yerba Santa, Mountain Balm, Bear's Weed, Consumptive Weed, Gum Bush, California Mountain Balm

Summary

Yerba santa is an evergreen shrub native to California and Oregon, typically 3–4 ft tall and 2–3 ft wide, with dark green leathery lance-shaped leaves sticky with resin and highly aromatic. It bears clusters of small bell-shaped flowers white to purplish in spring, and its resin-coated foliage emits a distinctive fragrance. Found in chaparral and coast redwood forest habitats, it is fire-adapted and sprouts from underground rhizomes after wildfire, forming dense colonies over time.

It prefers full sun to part shade and very well-drained soils, tolerates serpentine soils, and is drought-tolerant with low irrigation once established; hardy in zones 5–10 and deer resistant. It is suitable for hedges and screens, butterfly and bird gardens, and soil stabilization due to its rhizomatous growth. Traditionally used by Indigenous groups and early settlers for respiratory ailments and other medicinal applications, leaves were employed in teas, poultices, and remedies for coughs, colds, asthma, and related conditions.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

3-4 feet

Spread

2-3 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-10

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun; tolerates partial sun or partial shade.

Soil Type

Dry, rocky, well-drained soil.

Soil Drainage

Well-drained

Soil pH

5.5-7.6, Mildly acidic to mildly alkaline soils

Bloom Color

White to purple

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Dark green

Fall Foliage Color

Green; evergreen; no fall color change.

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

2.5 m/year via rhizomes (excellent conditions)

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds and Division (via underground rhizomes/rhizome-based vegetative propagation)

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts butterflies, other pollinators