PICK OF THE WEEK
Common name: Yerba buena
Genus/species: Satureja douglasii
Family: Lamiaceae (mint)
Description: This lovely evergreen forms a flat ground cover 3 to 6 inches high that can spread in width to 6 feet. It offers good coverage without being aggressive. The 1/2- to 1-inch rounded leaves with delicately scalloped edges and prominent veining look fresh and green all year.
Propagation: Yerba buena sends out roots wherever it touches the ground, and it grows easily from cuttings.
Cultivation: One of the easiest California native plants to integrate into an established landscape, yerba buena thrives with little care in foggy climates, or with filtered shade and some water inland. It can tolerate sun to deep shade, some drought to regular water. I grow it on the edge of my heavily mulched vegetable garden, where last summer it was shaded by a huge Bolivian sunroot and a winter squash. This summer, with several hours of afternoon sun, some leaves started to turn brown even with weekly watering but quickly bounced back with cooler weather. I haven't cut it back in two years. To encourage denser growth, trim the trailing stems.
Pests: None. Leaves can brown with too much sun or too little water, but quickly revive.
Availability: Most nurseries sell yerba buena in 1-gallon pots; Bay Natives, Annie's Annuals, and Yerba Buena Nursery also offer it in smaller pots. Nurseries that specialize in native plants (California Flora, Native Revival) are most likely to carry it, or you can special-order from any nursery that carries plants from Suncrest Nurseries.
Comments: The common name means “good herb” and was also an early name for San Francisco because the plant was so abundant here. If the plant rambles too far, it is easy to cut back and root the cuttings to give away. It also makes a refreshing tea that has many traditional uses and is still used to reduce fevers. I like to gently brush the leaves when I walk by, to release the minty fragrance. This is also a wonderful plant for containers, low walls or large window boxes, cascading over the sides. It will grow under pine trees, often a difficult situation.
© 2006 Tanya Kucak