Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica), packet of 20 seeds, Organic

$4.95

Family:  Lizard Tail (Saururacea)

Hardy to Zones 7 to 12

(Manso, Yerba del Manso, Lizard Tail) Creeping herbaceous perennial.  Native to the Southwestern US and California.  Does well in pots.  The succulent, ovate leaves give rise to white, sometimes rose-tinged coneflowers.  The entire plant smells good–spicy and warm.  Traditional usage (American Indian, TWM): colds, arthritis athlete’s foot, wound dressing.  The plant prefers sodden soils and hot sun, an unusual combination.  It is often found in association with geothermal springs, and there is a good wild stand at Jemez springs in NM.  As might be expected, the plant is a heat dependent germinator, and high temperatures (up to 100 degrees F) and long germination times (about 3 months) are usually required to get results.  I experimented one year pulling apart the sodden, almost moldy seedheads that were bedraggled in the winter rains, and found swollen seeds in them.  These I planted in the greenhouse, and they emerged in a few weeks.  So you see, there’s more than one way to skin a lizard tail, so to speak.  The next year I carefully removed the seeds from the coneheads and planted them in a deep flat.  I made several trough-like depressions in the surface of the partly draining soil in the flat, and pressed the seeds into the soil at the surface of the trough, then watered with fair regularity.  The first germination occurred at 60 days and winter temps were relatively cool in the greenhouse, with the thermostat set at 55 degrees and going up into the 70’s on good days.  The photo in the gallery shows the seedlings under the water that puddles above them when watered.  Work up in successively larger pots.  The plants make multiple upright flowers to 20 inches tall, and may be spaced 1 to 2 feet apart.

20 seeds/pkt., Certified Organically Grown

In stock

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  1. Question

    Frank chaires (verified owner)

    I can’t seem to grow it from seeds. Is there a technique that I can use to sprout the seeds? I generally plant them in the ground. I do live in the zone that is best for this type of plant. Please advise. Thank you

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    • 2 out of 2 people found this helpful
      Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      I had a lot of trouble finding the item on the JL HUDSON seeds website, but knew he had some alternate planting advice there. I did finally find it, here’s a paste for convenience sake:
      ‘YERBA MANSA’. White ‘flowers’ consisting of petal-like bracts below a cone-like center. Perennial preferring low moist areas, with a creeping rootstock and 7″ leaves. California to Texas and México. The fragrant rootstock is a highly valued medicine. Forms nice colonies and stands alkaline soil. Zone 5. “The seeds are easy to sprout in glass baby food jars with an inch of mud covered with 1/2” of water, placed in full sun on a heating pad (110°F). The seed sprout in 5 – 15 days. Seedlings float free of the mud and can be picked off and potted. Or sow on sterile sand under fluorescent lights, bagged and moist, in 10 – 30 days.”—Cook.

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    • Steven

      I challenge the zone 5 claim. I lived in zone 5b/t6a and they did not make it through the winter in my pond/bog area that froze.

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      Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      hi steven, we have these listed at zone 7 to 12. Z 5 seems pretty cold for it, although CalFlora lists it down to -5 degrees F, which is z 6. Probably in geothermal areas in colder zones it does do well. It is attracted to geothermal. richo

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