# 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! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 18 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Yerba Mansa](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Yerba_mansa.jpg&width=800) Photo: Calibas, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yerba_mansa.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Piperales - **Family:** Saururaceae - **Genus:** Anemopsis ## 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 - **Wetland Wonder:** Yerba Mansa can thrive in extremely wet, even soggy, soils thanks to its special root system that allows it to 'breathe'. - **Healing Power:** Yerba Mansa has compounds in its roots and leaves that Indigenous peoples traditionally used for healing various ailments. - **Bract Beacon:** Yerba Mansa has large, white, petal-like leaves called bracts that powerfully attract insects to its tiny, true flowers hidden within. - **Salt Scavenger:** 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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/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. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants unless an adult says it's okay. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Yerba Mansa? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Yerba Mansa? 15-60 cm ### How wide does Yerba Mansa spread? 30-90 cm ### How big are the flowers on Yerba Mansa? 2-3 cm ### When does Yerba Mansa bloom? Spring-fall ### Is Yerba Mansa edible? Yes ### Is Yerba Mansa toxic? None ### What is Yerba Mansa's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Old Town Albuquerque](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/old-town-albuquerque) — New Mexico, US · Neighborhood - [Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/red-rock-canyon-national-conservation-area) — Nevada, US · Nature Reserve - [Rio Grande Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rio-grande-botanic-garden-new-mexico) — New Mexico, US · Zoo - [Theater District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/theater-district) — California, US · Historic District - [Eagle Borax Works](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/eagle-borax-works) — California, US · Historic Site - [Crossroads of the World](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crossroads-of-the-world) — California, US · Historic District [View all places to see Yerba Mansa](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/yerba-mansa) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Yerba Mansa: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yerba-mansa)