White Pitcher Sage

White Pitcher Sage is a mint-like shrub with erect, woody stems. The tall stems, which are woody near the root and coated in downy hairs nearer the top, grow in upright clusters. The soft, lance shaped leaves are light green, with rounded and occasionally slightly toothed edges. The bell shaped flowers of this plant grow from loose, drooping clusters. Emerging from large green buds, these whitish-pink flowers have a rolled back upper and lower lip. The separated green bud of the flower remains around the bottom of the flower after blooming. A tiny, black fruit develops within the sepal cup (the green blossomed bud) after the flower falls.

Basic Information

• Member of the Lamiaceae family

• Shrub

Habitat

• Native to California central coast from Mendocino County to Ventura, as well as along the Coast Ranges and Sierra foothills

  • Endemic to California, ie only found in California

• Commonly found in the chaparral ecosystem, thought it is also found in many others

Reproduction

• Blooms from April to June

Alternative Names

• Pitcher sage, woodbalm, California pitcher plant

Historical Uses

• The Miwok used a leaf extract to treat fevers and headaches