October plant of the month: Yerba buena

Oct 24, 2024

Yerba Buena (Satureja douglasii) is a perennial herb native to the west coast of the United States and up into British Columbia. Called Yerba Buena (good herb) by early Spanish settlers, it was once so prevalent in the San Francisco Bay Area that the city was originally named for it; Yerba Buena Island still bears its name today.

Growing only 4 inches tall, its trailing stems will root where they contact the soil, and clumps can spread 4 to 6 feet. Round slightly scalloped leaves have a minty fragrance and have long been dried to make tea. The evergreen foliage may take on a maroon hue in colder months.

Tiny white flowers that appear in late spring/early summer are fairly inconspicuous. Yerba Buena prefers shade to part shade in our area and average soil. It is fairly drought tolerant once established, but will need summer water to look its best.

This a useful groundcover in drier shady areas that are often difficult and it does well trailing from containers or over boulders or walls. Cut back occasionally to keep plants bushier and top dress with a little compost in spring. Yerba Buena is a member of the mint family but is not aggressive and can easily be kept in check. Yerba Buena is deer resistant and attracts pollinators. 

(Photo above is from the US Forest Service website.)