Eriodictyon angustifolium aka Narrow Leaf Yerba Santa

Eriodictyon angustifolium has the common name narrowleaf yerba santa. This shrub is in Boraginaceae, the borage family. Its native range spans the southwestern United States and northern Baja California. It grows in deserts, chaparral, and pinyon-juniper woods. Its sites include rocky slopes and washes. It has a small range in California but grows across broader areas elsewhere.

Plants reach about 5.6 feet (1.7 metres) tall and wide. Virginia Tech reports heights up to 6 feet (1.8 metres). Dense branches give the shrub a full shape. Its smooth, gray-brown bark grows ragged with age. It then peels off in strips. Young twigs have a reddish brown hue. They lack hairs and feel sticky. The shrub keeps some or all its leaves through winter. It may spread by rhizomes, or stems that grow below ground. Thus, loose plantings suit it better than tight beds.

The narrow leaves are lanceolate, or shaped like lance heads. They grow in turn along each stem, not in pairs. They reach about 0.33 feet (0.10 metres) long. Sticky, scented resin coats their dark green upper sides. White, woolly hairs cover the undersides. Leaf edges curl under and may be smooth or toothed. Leaf stalks are short or absent. Small white flowers bloom in summer at branch tips. They form panicles, or branched groups of blooms. Each flower has five petals. Bees and other insects pollinate the flowers. The small fruit is a capsule with four parts.

Grow this shrub in full sun with good drainage. It suits sandy or loamy soil, even with few nutrients. It grows in slightly acid, neutral, or slightly alkaline soil. It can grow in dry or moist soil and withstand drought. Lean mineral soil and little summer water suit its dryland roots. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 7–10. Its leaves and drought tolerance suit dry native gardens. It gives wildlife nectar and cover, too.

People have long used the leaves in medicinal tea. Past uses include treating coughs, colds, and other breathing problems. These uses do not prove that a treatment is safe or works. Treat the leaves as a drink herb, not a vegetable. Do not eat them raw or swallow chewed leaves. Plants For A Future advises small servings now and then. It advises against frequent, heavy use. Strong tea may cause irritation due to its resins. Use caution if you are pregnant or take medicines. The same warning applies if you have a chronic illness.