Namaceae

California yerba santa

Eriodictyon californicum (Hook. & Arn.) Torr.

Family: Namaceae
Genus: Eriodictyon

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California yerba santa (Eriodictyon californicum) — FlowerPhoto: Anne Parsons, CC0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (1)

English: California yerba santa

Synonyms

Eriodictyon californicum f. latifolia Brand
Eriodictyon californicum f. linearis Brand
Eriodictyon californicum subsp. australe Brand
Eriodictyon californicum subsp. glutinosum (Benth.) Brand
Eriodictyon californicum subvar. coarctatum Brand
Eriodictyon californicum var. pubens Brand
Eriodictyon glutinosum Benth.
Eriodictyon glutinosum var. serratum Choisy
Wigandia californica Hook. & Arn.

Flowers

In flower: April to June (from 1,620 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Flower colour: purple (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Shrub
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: native

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Anne Parsons, CC0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: rappman, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Anne Parsons, CC0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Theo Summer, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Henrik Kibak, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Walter Siegmund, CC BY 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: John Gaskin, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Breck22, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: XanaG, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Chuck Wilson, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: S. Rae from Scotland, UK, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: S. Rae from Scotland, UK, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Eriodictyon

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0); popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.