Clinopodium chandleri
San miguel savory, San Miguel Savory
(c) Amanda Fisher, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Lamiaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Clinopodium chandleri (San miguel savory) is a native California shrub in the Lamiaceae family.
San miguel savory is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native shrub found in the Peninsular Ranges in rocky chaparral slopes at elevations below 1,100 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces white to lavender flowers in small clusters of 1 to 6 blooms, each flower approximately 4 to 7 millimeters long. Growing as a compact, erect shrub less than 0.5 meters tall with red-brown woody stems covered in white recurved hairs, it presents a delicate structural form. Its leaves are small, 5 to 15 millimeters long and 4 to 16 millimeters wide, with a deltate to ovate-deltate shape and shallow crenate-dentate edges, covered in short white hairs. The fruit is tiny, approximately 1.5 millimeters long with a shiny dark brown surface that appears subtly net-like.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species (douglasii). Key differentiators: shrub vs perennial herb growth form, erect vs decumbent habit
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky slopes, chaparral
Elevation: < 1100 m
California counties: Orange, San Diego, Riverside
Outside California: northern Baja California
Bloom period
Clinopodium chandleri blooms Mar-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2
How to tell it apart
vs Mentha: Mentha has larger flowers and grows in wet areas; Clinopodium has tiny flowers in drier woodland sites.; vs Stachys: Hedge-nettle has small bracts under flower clusters; Clinopodium has full-sized leaves beneath its clusters.; vs Salvia: Sage has much larger flowers (over 10mm); most Clinopodium flowers are pencil-eraser-tiny.; vs Quercus: Oak is a tree with acorns; Clinopodium is a small herb with tiny tubular flowers.; vs Monardella: Monardella has a bract collar beneath its flower head; Clinopodium has regular leaves under loose clusters.
Frequently asked questions
Is Clinopodium chandleri native to California?
Yes. Clinopodium chandleri is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Clinopodium chandleri bloom?
Clinopodium chandleri blooms Mar-Jul.
Where in California does Clinopodium chandleri grow?
Clinopodium chandleri occurs in Orange, San Diego, Riverside, at elevations of < 1100 m.
What plant family does Clinopodium chandleri belong to?
Clinopodium chandleri is in the Lamiaceae family, genus Clinopodium.
Is Clinopodium chandleri rare or endangered?
Clinopodium chandleri carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.