Yerba Mansa

Anemopsis californica

Yerba Mansa is a special plant that grows in wet areas. Its leaves are big and green, and it has pretty white flowers that smell nice. This plant is great for helping the environment!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Yerba Mansa is a low-growing plant with broad, green leaves and reddish stems. It features a distinctive cone-shaped central flower cluster surrounded by 4-8 brilliant white, petal-like bracts, making it appear as a single large bloom.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderPiperalesFamilySaururaceaeGenusAnemopsis

Yerba Mansa

Interesting facts

It is the only plant in its entire genus, making it truly unique!

It's sometimes called 'Lizard Tail' because its flower stalks resemble a lizard's tail!

Its roots can grow deep into the mud, sometimes over 3 feet long!

The spicy taste of its roots is a clue to its medicinal properties!

Special abilities

Yerba Mansa can thrive in extremely wet, even soggy, soils thanks to its special root system that allows it to 'breathe'.

Yerba Mansa has compounds in its roots and leaves that Indigenous peoples traditionally used for healing various ailments.

Yerba Mansa has large, white, petal-like leaves called bracts that powerfully attract insects to its tiny, true flowers hidden within.

Yerba Mansa can tolerate salty soils, which helps it survive in places where many other plants cannot grow.

Measurements & details

Height: 15-60 cm
Spread: 30-90 cm
Flower Size: 2-3 cm
Bloom Season: Spring-fall
Edible: Yes
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

Attracted to its nectar and pollen.

pollinates

Hoverfly

Syrphus ribesii

Visits the flowers for nectar.

pollinates

Yellow-faced Bumblebee

Bombus vosnesenskii

A frequent pollinator in its range.

Traits

Aromatic

Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Shrub

A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.

Fragrant Flower

Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.

Medicinal

Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.

Edible

Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.

Pollinator Magnet

Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.