Eriodictyon trichocalyx
Hairy yerba santa
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Family: Namaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Eriodictyon trichocalyx (Hairy yerba santa) is a native California shrub in the Namaceae family, recognized by Yerba santa with sticky green upper leaf surface and conspicuously long-hairy calyx; funnel-shaped corolla; PR-SCo-SnGb-SnBr.
Hairy yerba santa is a California native shrub found in rocky or chaparral habitats at elevations of moderate height. Flowering from spring to summer, this plant produces white to lavender flowers in small funnel-shaped clusters with dense gray-hairy buds. Growing to less than 2 meters tall with twigs that can be glabrous or hairy, it forms a distinctive shrubby structure. Its leaves are lance-linear to narrow-oblong, 3 to 14 centimeters long, with sticky upper surfaces and dense woolly undersides, and margins that curl slightly underneath. The plant's flowers emerge with notably long, dense hairs on the calyx lobes, giving it a distinctive and textured appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Yerba santa with sticky green upper leaf surface and conspicuously long-hairy calyx; funnel-shaped corolla; PR-SCo-SnGb-SnBr.
Habitat and range
California counties: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura, El Dorado, Tulare
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 trichocalyx native to California?
Yes. Eriodictyon trichocalyx is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Eriodictyon trichocalyx grow?
Eriodictyon trichocalyx occurs in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura, El Dorado and other counties.
What plant family does Eriodictyon trichocalyx belong to?
Eriodictyon trichocalyx is in the Namaceae family, genus Eriodictyon.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Eriodictyon trichocalyx var. lanatum — San diego yerba santa
- Eriodictyon trichocalyx var. trichocalyx — Hairy yerba santa
- Eriodictyon altissimum — Indian knob mountainbalm
- Eriodictyon angustifolium — Narrow-leaved yerba santa
- Eriodictyon californicum — California yerba santa
- Eriodictyon capitatum — Lompoc yerba santa
- Nama aretioides — Ground nama
- Nama aretioides var. californica
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.