Eriodictyon crassifolium var. nigrescens

Bicolored yerba santa

Family: Namaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Bicolored yerba santa is a California native shrub found in the Tehachapi Mountains, southern Coast Ranges, southern California, western Transverse Ranges, San Gabriel Mountains, and San Jacinto Mountains in slopes, roadsides, washes, river bottoms, mesas, chaparral, and woodland at elevations of 100 to 2,440 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces pale flowers with corollas 6 to 10 millimeters long. Growing with sticky, dull green stems that are moderately hairy and brown, it reaches a moderate height with dense branching. Its lanceolate leaves are sticky between hairs, sparsely to moderately short-hairy on the upper surface, and densely tomentose on the lower surface with prominent net veining. The shrub's distinctive sticky, hairy foliage and pale flowers make it a notable component of its native chaparral and woodland habitats.

Habitat: Slopes, roadsides, washes, river bottoms, mesas, chaparral, woodland

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: 100-2440 m

Bioregions: Teh (rare), SCoRO, SCo, WTR, SnGb, SnJt.

California counties: Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Riverside, Kern, San Luis Obispo, San Diego

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.