Yerba Buena

Clinopodium douglasii

Photo taken by Calvin De Jong

Description

Height 20-175 mm

Width 10-90 cm

Leaves 20-25 mm

Flowers 5-15 mm

Seeds 1 mm

Yerba Buena is a creeping herbaceous perennial herb that belongs to the mint family, with thick fragrant evergreen leaves its an easy plant to identify. Yerba Buena spreads by sprawling and growing roots at nodes when touching the ground. Small white tubular flowers can be found during the early summer.

Distribution and habitat

Yerba Buena can be found growing in southwestern BC. Typically it's an understorey herb growing under mixed forests, you can also find it in along forest roads, near forest edges. In the Okanagan, I find yerba buena growing throughout the Lumby and surrounding areas.

Elevation 0-920 m

Soil well-drained, well-watered soils

pH 6.0-8.0

Zones 7-10

Uses & Benefits

Yerba Buena can be eaten raw or used in assorted dishes like salads, soups, stews, and teas. Yerba buena has been used by first nations in the Okanagan area for a wide range of uses.

Parts Used :

Leaves
Flowers

One can use yerba buena to:

Treat Headaches
Toothaches
Dizziness
Wound healing
Treatment of rheumatism
Digestion
Relief of menstrual pain
Bug repellent

Ways to use yerba buena:

Poultice
Teas
Decoction
Salves
Creams
Toothpaste
Mouthwash
Tinctures
Oil infusions

Calvin De Jong

Content Writer/Photographer

I am a naturalist from the Okanagan. My passions are taken photos of nature and foraging all its wonders.