Bloomipedia
Thick-leaved yerba santa (Eriodictyon crassifolium)
Photo: Daniel S. via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Thick-leaved yerba santa

Eriodictyon crassifolium

Native to California

Thick-leaved yerba santa is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.

1states
10,357CA sightings*
10,357U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: California

Quick look

Eriodictyon crassifolium, or thickleaf yerba santa, is a shrub in the family Namaceae. "Crassifolium" means "thick leaf". The plant has thick, woolly leaves. It is native to California and Baja California.

  • It belongs to the Boraginaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 1 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to California. NatureServe
  • In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 10,357 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #90 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist

Thick-leaved yerba santa gift ideas

Handmade thick-leaved yerba santa gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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    Thick-leaved yerba santa art print

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    Thick-leaved yerba santa greeting card

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    Thick-leaved yerba santa mug

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    Thick-leaved yerba santa earrings

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    Thick-leaved yerba santa embroidery pattern

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    Thick-leaved yerba santa sticker

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When does it bloom?

In California, most flowering sightings come in March–June.

Flowering records by month in California (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (672 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G3 Vulnerable worldwide. NatureServe
California
Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records thick-leaved yerba santa in 1 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

California.

California counties with USDA records: Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura.

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Alkali heliotrope (Heliotropium curassavicum)

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Sources