White Pitcher Sage Seeds|California native Wildflowers|Native Plants|Sage|Native Seeds|Lepechinia calycina|Southwestern Wildflowers|Woodbalm

A species of flowering plant in the Lamiaceae (Mint) family, Pitcher Sage or Woodbalm is endemic to California, where it is a common plant in several different habitat types, including the chaparral plant community. It is found along the central coast from Mendocino County to Ventura County, as well as portions of the Coast Ranges and Sierra foothills. This is an aromatic shrub with parts of its bark covered in long hairs, some of which have resin glands in them. The leaves are lance-shaped to roughly oval and are sometimes toothed along the edges. The shrub flowers in loose raceme clusters. Each flower is encased in a cuplike calyx of sepals which are green when new and age to reddish purple. The somewhat cylindrical corolla of the flower is white to light lavender and is rolled back at the tip into four small lips and one longer lip. The tiny fruit is rounded, dark in color, and slightly hairy. The Miwok, a Native American group of California, used an extract of the leaves of this plant to treat fever and headache.

Blooming season is mid-spring to early summer. Easy to grow but wants well drained soil. Plant in mid to late fall. water moderately until established. Packet will contain 10 seeds.