Eriodictyon californicum
California yerba santa
(c) Henrik Kibak, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Namaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Eriodictyon californicum (California yerba santa) is a native California shrub in the Namaceae family, recognized by . Key features: broad leaves, dark flower buds, northern distribution.
California yerba santa is a California native shrub found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, and central western California in slopes, fields, roadsides, woodland, and chaparral at elevations of 20 to 1,830 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white to purple flowers in funnel-shaped corollas 8 to 12 millimeters long. Growing with erect stems 1 to 3 meters tall that are glabrous and sticky, it forms a distinctive shrubby habit. Its leaves are lanceolate to oblong, up to 15 centimeters long, with margins rolled under and a sticky upper surface that is glabrous to sparsely hairy, while the lower surface shows a distinctive net-like pattern of hair between the veins. The fruit contains 2 to 20 seeds, highlighting the plant's reproductive capacity in diverse habitats.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 9 sympatric species. Key features: broad leaves, dark flower buds, northern distribution
Habitat and range
Habitat: Slopes, fields, roadsides, woodland, chaparral
Elevation: 20-1830 m
California counties: Humboldt, Mendocino, Monterey, Tulare, Colusa, Glenn, Santa Cruz, Trinity, Del Norte, Lake, Fresno, Shasta, Nevada, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Siskiyou, Tehama, Butte, Santa Clara, Kern, Napa, Marin, Yolo, Solano, Tuolumne, Placer, El Dorado, Plumas, Madera, Mariposa, San Luis Obispo, Calaveras, Sutter, Stanislaus, Amador, San Benito, Yuba, Sierra, San Francisco, Sonoma, Alameda, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Kings, Inyo, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura, Riverside
Outside California: southern Oregon
Bloom period
Eriodictyon californicum blooms Apr-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Salvia: Eriodictyon has tubular flowers in branched clusters; Salvia has 2-lipped flowers in whorled spikes.; vs Baccharis: Eriodictyon has showy tubular flowers with petals; Baccharis has tiny flowers in fuzzy white/tan heads without petals.; vs Eriogonum: Eriodictyon has tubular flowers with petals; Eriogonum has tiny petal-less flowers in ball-like clusters.; vs Heteromeles: Eriodictyon has tubular flowers; Heteromeles has flat-topped clusters of white 5-petaled flowers with red berries.; vs Pseudognaphalium: Eriodictyon is a woody shrub with tubular flowers; Pseudognaphalium is an herb with fuzzy leaves and papery flower heads.
Frequently asked questions
Is Eriodictyon californicum native to California?
Yes. Eriodictyon californicum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eriodictyon californicum bloom?
Eriodictyon californicum blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Eriodictyon californicum grow?
Eriodictyon californicum occurs in Humboldt, Mendocino, Monterey, Tulare, Colusa, Glenn, Santa Cruz, Trinity and other counties, at elevations of 20-1830 m.
What plant family does Eriodictyon californicum belong to?
Eriodictyon californicum is in the Namaceae family, genus Eriodictyon.
What habitat does Eriodictyon californicum grow in?
Eriodictyon californicum grows in Slopes, fields, roadsides, woodland, chaparral.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Eriodictyon capitatum — Lompoc yerba santa
- Eriodictyon crassifolium — Felt leaved yerba santa
- Eriodictyon crassifolium var. crassifolium — Thick-leaved yerba santa
- Eriodictyon crassifolium var. nigrescens — Bicolored yerba santa
- Eriodictyon lobbii — Matted yerba santa
- Eriodictyon parryi — Poodle-dog bush
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.