Eriodictyon crassifolium
thick-leaved yerba santa
Southern and central California and northern Baja California
Attracts PollinatorsAttracts ButterfliesDeer ResistantDrought TolerantFragrant (moderate)
Native to North America
Overview
Eriodictyon crassifolium is an evergreen shrub in the borage family, growing 3-9 feet (0.9-2.7 m) tall and spreading by underground rhizomes into colonies. The thick, lance-shaped leaves are 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) long, gray-green, and densely covered with white woolly hairs that give the foliage a felted look and limit water loss. Stems and leaves are aromatic when crushed. Coiled clusters of funnel-shaped flowers, lavender to pale purple and about 0.5 inch (1.3 cm) long, open at the branch tips from late spring into summer. The shrub grows on dry slopes, in chaparral, and in coastal scrub below about 5,500 feet (1,700 m) in California and northern Baja California. It resprouts from rhizomes after fire and is among the plants that colonize burned and disturbed ground. The rhizomatous habit lets it form broad patches but can also push it beyond its intended space in irrigated gardens. Bees and other insects work the flowers, and the leaves have a long record of medicinal use by Indigenous peoples of California. Its need for sharp drainage and sensitivity to summer water restrict its use to dry, unirrigated plantings.
Native Range
Native to southern and central California and northern Baja California, Mexico. It grows on dry slopes, in chaparral, and in coastal sage scrub below about 5,500 feet (1,700 m).Suggested Uses
Used in California native plant gardens, dry slopes, and habitat plantings for pollinators, and for erosion control on banks where its rhizomes bind the soil. It suits unirrigated, low-water landscapes rather than mixed beds that receive summer water.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height3' - 9'
Width/Spread3' - 8'
Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years
Bloom Information
Flowers from May through July in California, with lavender to purple blooms in coiled clusters at the stem tips. Flowering follows the drying of spring soils and tapers off as summer heat sets in. Bloom is heavier on plants in full sun and on recently burned ground.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
lavender to pale purpleFoliage Description
gray-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Eriodictyon crassifolium grows in full sun on dry, sharply drained slopes and tolerates poor, rocky soils. It is drought tolerant once established and needs no summer irrigation; excess summer water in heavy soil leads to root rot. The shrub spreads by rhizomes and can form wide colonies, which suits bank stabilization but can crowd smaller plants. It tolerates a soil pH from about 6.0 to 7.5 and grows in coastal and inland chaparral climates. Plants resprout after fire and recover from hard cutting. Growth is slow in the first year while the root system develops.Pruning
Cutting stems back by up to a third after flowering keeps the shrub dense and limits its spread. Removing rhizomatous suckers controls the width of the colony. Plants tolerate hard renewal pruning and resprout from the base.Pruning Schedule
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summer