Yerba Buena is a fragrant, evergreen California native ground cover valued for its beauty, toughness, and versatility in shaded gardens. Botanically known as Clinopodium douglasii and formerly Satureja douglasii, this low-growing herb forms a lush mat of rich green, scalloped leaves that stay about 2" tall while spreading up to 6' wide.

An excellent choice for shade gardens, oak understory plantings, woodland edges, hanging baskets, and containers, Yerba Buena ground cover tolerates clay soil, sandy soil, and dry shade better than many ornamental plants. It roots along its stems as it spreads, but does not travel by invasive rhizomes, making it easier to manage in the landscape. Delicate white to pale purple tubular flowers appear from summer through fall, adding seasonal interest.

Plant Clinopodium douglasii in shade to part shade with well-drained soil. While drought-tolerant once established, it looks best with occasional summer water. Deer-resistant, low-maintenance, aromatic, and long-lived, Yerba Buena is a useful native plant for naturalistic gardens and shaded ground cover plantings. For more information, see our Explore more California native groundcovers.

We guarantee that the plants we sell are healthy and viable at the time they leave our care.

If a plant arrives in substandard condition, please take clear photographs and contact us within 48 hours of delivery. To ensure eligibility under this guarantee, we strongly encourage you to open and unpack your shipment immediately upon delivery and inspect the plants thoroughly.

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$14.99 flat rate for up to 6 plants is for standard FedEx/UPS Ground shipping to eligible states only. $19.99 for up to 12 plants. Plants being shipped to the following states are sent via Express Mail to help ensure they arrive quickly and healthy. 

(AL, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IN, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VT, VA, WV)
(list of states subject to change seasonally due to extreme heat or cold conditions)

We cannot ship Annie's Annuals plants to P.O. boxes or outside the continental U.S.

Individual plants are shipped in 4" pots and we ship in boxes of 4, 6, 8, or 12 plants per box.

For more details, read our full Ordering and Shipping Policies

Get your plants off to a strong start with our care guide.

Download the Plant Care Guide (PDF)