Yerba Buena

For other uses of the term Yerba Buena see Yerba Buena (disambiguation).

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Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Lamiaceae Genus: Satureja Species: S. douglasii
Binomial name
Satureja douglasii (Benth.) Kuntze
Synonyms
Micromeria chamissonis Satureja chamissonis Satureja douglasii

Yerba Buena (Satureja douglasii) is a sprawling aromatic herb of the western and northwestern United States, western Canada and Alaska and Mexico. Another local name for this plant is Oregon tea, referring to its use as both a medicinal and refreshing tea in Oregon. Its name, an alternate form of hierba buena, which means "good herb" was given it by the Spanish priests of California.

What is now San Francisco, California was originally named Yerba Buena by its Spanish settlers in the 18th century because of the abundance of the herb in the area.

Other herbs called Yerba Buena

The term "Yerba Buena" refers to the particular local species of mint in Latin America, which varies from region to region.

The term has been (and is currently) used by the Mexican culture (in Southern territories) to define an herb used for medicinal purposes, usually Mentha spicata or Mentha viridis, otherwise known as Spearmint, rather than Clinopodium.

In Central America, its used to refer to Mentha citatra, which is a medicinal herb as well.

In Cuba, yerba buena refers to a herb known as large apple mint, foxtail mint, hairy mint, woolly mint or Cuban mint (Mentha nemorosa).

Clinopodium douglasii is also colloquially known as Yerba Buena.

References

• http://www.cnps-yerbabuena.org/rare_yerba_buena.html