Clinopodium douglasii
Yerba buena
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Family: Lamiaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Clinopodium douglasii (Yerba buena) is a native California subshrub in the Lamiaceae family.
Yerba buena is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, northern Sierra Nevada, central western California, and southwestern California in shady places, chaparral, and woodland at elevations below 900 meters. Flowering from April to September, this plant produces white to lavender flowers 3 to 8 millimeters long in small clusters along leaf axils. Growing as a mat-forming herb with slightly woody stems that occasionally root, it spreads to less than one meter wide with sparse, minute recurved hairs. Its leaves are ovate to ovate-triangular, 10 to 35 millimeters long, with shallow crenate-dentate edges and sparse, minute hairs. The small shiny brown fruits are approximately one millimeter long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species (chandleri, mimuloides). Key differentiators: mat-forming habit, small flowers, broad range
Habitat and range
Habitat: Shady places, chaparral, woodland
Elevation: < 900 m
California counties: Humboldt, Los Angeles, Marin, San Mateo, Mendocino, Contra Costa, San Luis Obispo, Napa, Del Norte, Siskiyou, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Monterey, Ventura, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Alameda
Outside California: to British Columbia, Idaho
Bloom period
Clinopodium douglasii blooms Apr-Sep.
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 douglasii native to California?
Yes. Clinopodium douglasii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Clinopodium douglasii bloom?
Clinopodium douglasii blooms Apr-Sep.
Where in California does Clinopodium douglasii grow?
Clinopodium douglasii occurs in Humboldt, Los Angeles, Marin, San Mateo, Mendocino, Contra Costa, San Luis Obispo, Napa and other counties, at elevations of < 900 m.
What plant family does Clinopodium douglasii belong to?
Clinopodium douglasii is in the Lamiaceae family, genus Clinopodium.
What habitat does Clinopodium douglasii grow in?
Clinopodium douglasii grows in Shady places, chaparral, woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
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.