Hydrophyllaceae

Eriodictyon californicum

Yerba Santa

Erect shrub with shredding bark. Twigs hairless, sticky. Leaves leathery, 2–6 in., lance-shaped to oblong, with short stalk, toothed or entire, shiny to sticky with hair between veins on underside, edges rolled under. Flowers in open clusters at ends of twigs. Flower 1/3–2/3 in. long, funnel-shaped, with 5 lobes, white to lavender or purple, sparsely hairy. Grows in sunny, dry to moist places, roadsides, fields, woodlands, chaparral, at low to mid elevations. Eriodictyon is Greek for "woolly net," referring to the pattern of the hairs on underside of leaf.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: Early Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 3--9 feet
• Habitat: West-Side Forest, Meadow
• Found In:
• Native: Yes