wetland wildflower
Yerba Mansa
Anemopsis californica
Also known as Yerba-mansa, Lizard Tail
1 of 2Native to Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah
Santa Clara county, California and the Sacramento valley to Nevada, southwestern Utah and Texas, south to Mexico; introduced in eastern Colorado
- Light Full sun Sun tolerance
- Moisture Wet Moisture preference
- Zones n/a Cold to heat range
- Bloom Mar–Sep Flowering time
- Height up to 30 in to 76 cm
- Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial
In the garden
A wetland wildflower for full sun and wet soil. At up to 30 in, it suits rain gardens, pond edges, and damp low spots.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
Pollinators & wildlife
- Butterflies Painted Lady
also Funereal Duskywing, California Patch, Chusca Skipper +3 more
Satyrium dryope, Strymon sylvinus, Polites sabuleti - Bees Spotted Woolcarder
also Perdita larreae, Ashmeadiella leucozona, Ashmeadiella prosopidis +3 more
Heriades micropthalma, Short Sun-digger Bee, Oblique Sweat Bee - Flower flies Six-spotted Bromeliad Fly also Single-banded Plushback
- Also visited by
- Moths: Salt Marsh Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
- Beetles: Chestnut-colored Cryptocephalus
- Wasps: Golden Paper Wasp
Butterflies that use this plant
Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.
- Painted ladynectar
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- WetlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and UtahUnited States (6): AZ, CA, NM, NV, TX, UT. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- Santa Clara county, California and the Sacramento valley to Nevada, southwestern Utah and Texas, south to Mexico; introduced in eastern ColoradoThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Full sunHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
- Moisture
- WetThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
- Soil
- Wet or moist alkaline soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
- Soil texture
- Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
- Soil pH
- 6.5–9.0The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
- Soil quality
- LowHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
- Water use
- HighHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
- Salinity tolerance
- MediumHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
- Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance
- HighHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.
Growth & form
- Height
- up to 30 in (to 76 cm)Typical mature height.
- Life cycle
- PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
- Growth rate
- ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
- Shape
- ErectIts overall silhouette.
- Root depth
- 6+ in (15+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.
Flowers, foliage & fruit
- Type
- WildflowerWhat kind of plant it is.
- Bloom
- Mar–SepWhen it flowers.
- Flower color
- WhiteThe bloom color, or colors.
- Fruit/Seeds
- ripens Jan–NovThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
- Toxicity
- None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.
Propagation & seed
- Cold stratification
- Not requiredWhether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
- Propagation
- Seed, sprigsHow to start new plants.
- Seed spread rate
- ModerateHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
- Seedling vigor
- MediumHow strongly young seedlings establish.
- Vegetative spread
- ModerateWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.