Carried by 52 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
Spanish for 'good herb', Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii) is a creeping evergreen perennial commonly used as a groundcover, rock garden, and container plant. A member of the Mint family, Yerba Buena's small, delicate leaves and tiny white flowers have a pleasant fragrance. The leaves are used in tea, traditional medicine, cooking, and essential oils.
This plant roots itself as it spreads, forming low mats that can be encouraged by pinching the stems. Yerba Buena grows best when planted in full or part shade. It is a low- to moderate- moisture plant that adapts to different soil types, as long as drainage is good. Plant under trees or in shady spots mixed in with taller shade-loving plants.
Perennial herb
4 - 7 in Tall
3 ft Wide
Spreading
Fast, Moderate
Evergreen
Pleasant
White
Spring, Summer
Containers, Deer resistant, Groundcover, Lawn alternative
Deep Shade, Partial Shade
Low, Moderate
Max 1x / week once established
Easy
Tolerates cold to 5° F
Fast, Medium, Slow
Adaptable.
Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0
encourage branching by light pruning
For propagating by seed: No treatment. ( Emery and Frey 1971).
2, 3, 4*, 5*, 6*, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*
Coastal woodland, shady, moist areas
Chaparral, Closed-cone Pine Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest, Northern Coastal Scrub, Redwood Forest
Trees: Madrone (Arbutus menziesii), Tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus), Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata), Oak (Quercus spp.), Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica)
Shrubs and herbs: Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria vesca), Monkeyflower (Erythranthe cardinalis or guttatus), Coyote brush (Baccharis pillularis), Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana), Bluff Lettuce (Dudleya farinosa) and Pacific Stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium)
Butterflies and moths supported
0 confirmed and 2 likely
Orange Mint Moth
Pyrausta orphisalis
Florida Pink Scavanger Caterpillar
Pyroderces badia