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Yerba Mansa

Anemopsis californica

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1 Gallon

Yerba Mansa

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Yerba Mansa — Anemopsis californica

Also known as: Lizard Tail, Swamp Root

Yerba Mansa is a striking, spreading perennial native to wetlands, seeps, and riparian areas throughout the Southwest, including parts of the Mojave Desert and California’s desert margins. It grows best in moist, alkaline soils where water collects seasonally, but once established, it can survive on much less—especially if planted in a basin, dry streambed, or swale where occasional runoff collects.

This plant forms broad mats of low, green foliage, with leaves that are thick, fragrant, and slightly spongy. In spring, it sends up unique flowering spikes—what looks like a single white flower is actually a cone-like structure of tiny flowers, surrounded by 6–9 large white bracts that resemble petals. As the flowers age, the bracts blush pink to red, adding seasonal interest. Plants usually grow 6 to 12 inches tall, spreading slowly by underground rhizomes to form dense colonies over time.

Yerba Mansa has a long history of traditional medicinal use by Indigenous communities throughout its range, valued for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. While it's known more for its ethnobotanical significance than its showy flowers, it is also an important pollinator plant, supporting native bees, small butterflies, and beneficial flies. Its dense cover provides foraging habitat and shelter for a variety of birds and insects.

It does best in full sun to part shade, with moist to seasonally wet soils, and is well-suited for restoration plantings, bioswales, or naturalized edges of ponds and water features. In gardens, it offers a unique visual texture and plays a key role in supporting wetland biodiversity.

Wildlife Value

Host Plant: —
Nectar Source: Native bees; syrphid flies; small butterflies including Field Crescent (Phyciodes pulchella) [occasional]
Bird Resources: Insects; Ground Shelter
Bird Species: Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia); California Towhee (Melozone crissalis); Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)

Plant Care

Native region:

Mojave Desert

Water needs:

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Cold Hardiness:

-20 Degrees

Nectar-producing:

Yes

Attracts pollinators:

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Butterflies or Moths:

Yes

Monarchs:

Larval host:

Bees:

Yes

Bats:

Birds:

Yes

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Rabbit-resistant:

Tortoises:

Growing Plants in the Desert — Important Information

The information presented here is, to the best of my knowledge, accurate and based on reliable research, personal experience in my own garden, observations from other gardens I’ve visited, and time spent studying plants in their native habitats. I always welcome your feedback and experiences to help me continue educating others!

Cacti:
In my experience, cacti are much happier in filtered shade here in the low desert of the Coachella Valley. Their colors are more vibrant and they tend to bloom more profusely, especially the non-native varieties. If you look closely at how our native barrel cactus and beavertail prickly pear grow in the wild, you’ll often find them tucked among rocks or beneath the shelter of creosote and other shrubs.

⚠️ A note of caution: Cacti and succulents are often illegally collected from the wild, which not only damages plant populations but also disturbs entire ecosystems. In some cases, wild populations of cacti have even gone extinct because of this practice. When purchasing these plants, always be sure they’ve been legally obtained. Look for nursery-grown stock or plants with a native plant certification, and keep that documentation for your records.

Light Requirements:
In our desert (Sonoran/Colorado), “full sun” doesn’t always mean what you might think. Many so-called full-sun plants benefit from and actually appreciate some late-afternoon filtered light—especially during the intense summer months.