California Gourmet: Three Cookies Featuring Native Mint Flavors

 

Cookies featuring California native mint.

 

 

We
hope our previous post (April 2016) inspired you to make some alcohol extracts
of mints from your garden.  These extracts
can be used in a wide range of dishes. 
In fact, they can be substituted in any recipe calling for mint
extract.  Just remember that ‘kitchen
extracts’ – particularly those using native mints – are usually milder than the
mint or spearmint extract you buy at the store. 
 You’ll likely need to increase
the amount needed; and you’ll just have to experiment to get the right flavor.

We
like to use our alcohol extracts in cookies and other baked goods usually
flavored with vanilla. These recipes – which commonly use white sugar (or other
light-flavored sweetener like Stevia) and no strong spices – are perfect for
showcasing the delicate native mint flavors. 
Here are three cookie recipes Mother Nature’s Backyard visitors have
enjoyed.  Try them and leave your friends
and family guessing ‘what flavor are these cookies?’

 

Hint of Hummingbird Sage Cookies: a California mint.

 

We
first made this recipe with Hummingbird sage extract – hence the name.  But we’ve found other mints to be equally
delicious.  We use small (1 inch) cookie
cutters for garden events, tea parties and tastings.  And we like to use flavored sugars as a
topper (see below).  You’ll need to
flavor and color the sugars ahead of time; but they are an easy way to add a
unique, festive touch to these cookies.

The recipe is
an adaptation of a great sugar cookie recipe from Maida Heator’s Book of Great Cookies.

 

Hint of Hummingbird Sage Cookies

3 ¼ cups + 2 Tbsp sifted
all-purpose flour

2 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 ½ sticks butter (best)
or 6 oz. (3/4 cup) margarine; you can use a mixture of butter/margarine

¼ tsp vanilla extract

2 ½ Tbsp Hummingbird
Sage extract*

1 ½ cups granulated
sugar

2 eggs

Additional granulated,
flavored or decorative sugar for topping**

 

Sift
together flour & baking powder; set aside. 
Cream softened butter or margarine.  
Add vanilla, Hummingbird Sage extract and sugar.  Beat well. 
Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg is added.    Add dry ingredients slowly, scraping bowl
to be sure that everything is well mixed. 

Place
dough in a wax-paper lined bowl, or divide dough in thirds and wrap each third
in waxed paper, plastic wrap or aluminum foil. 
Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 3 hours. 

After
dough is chilled, preheat oven to 400° F. 
 Take one third piece of dough,
and roll it to the desired thickness on a well-floured pastry cloth.   We like to slightly flatten the dough with
our hands and turn the dough once before rolling.  We use a wooden rolling pin with a cloth
rolling pin ‘sock’ that has been rolled in flour to keep the dough from
sticking.  We roll the dough to 1/8 to ¼
inch thick.  

Cut
the dough with cookie cutters.  Carefully
transfer the cut-outs to ungreased cookie sheets, placing them about 1 ½ inches
apart.    Sprinkle the tops with
granulated sugar or colored decorative sugars. 
Bake until edges are just lightly tanned – about 8-10 minutes.  Keep a close eye on then – they brown quickly.   Remove from oven.  Transfer cookies to a cooling rack with a
large metal spatula (pancake turner).  
Let cool.   Enjoy!!

________________

* Use an
alcohol extract of Hummingbird sage or any other garden mint whose flavor you
like.  For instructions see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2016/04/california-gourmet-making-flavored.html

**
We like to make flavored sugars for
a finishing touch.  Place 1 cup of granulated
sugar in a jar or plastic container.  Add
¼ cups mint leaves (of the same flavor as the extract), washed, patted dry and
coarsely chopped.  Cover and let sit 24
hours, shaking occasionally.  Remove the
leaf pieces using a sieve.  Dry the sugar
(air dry or in a warm oven) until it no longer clumps.  Store in an airtight jar; use within a month
for best flavor.    The sugar can be
colored with a few drops of food coloring. 
Just add coloring to the jar, then shake until all the sugar is colored.
 

 

California Gourmet Icebox Cookies

Flavored with California native mint flavors

 

Icebox
cookies are usually called ‘refrigerator cookies’ in modern cookbooks.  But we like the old time name, harkening back
to the days when these cookies were cooled in old-fashioned iceboxes.

Icebox
cookies are the baker’s dream, particularly when making lots of cookies in a
short amount of time.  You make the
dough, shape it into rolls, then cool the rolls in the refrigerator for several
hours.  Then you slice the dough into
thin rounds and bake.  Icebox cookies
were the original ‘slice-and-bake’ cookies.

We’ve
taken a simple vanilla icebox cookie recipe (found in many cookbooks) and
modified it to feature our native mint extracts.  The taste is like a minty shortbread cookie –
very nice with tea or coffee, or as dessert.   As
always, you may need to modify the amount of extract to suit your taste.

 

California Gourmet Icebox Cookies

1 cup
butter or margarine, softened*

1 cup
sugar

1 egg

2 Tbsp
milk

¼ tsp
vanilla extract

2 Tbsp
native mint extract**

3 cups
all-purpose flour

½ tsp
baking soda

4-5 drops
food color (if desired)

Colored,
flavored sugar (if desired)

 

Place
butter/margarine and sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Cream until light, then add egg, milk and
extracts.  Beat until light, fluffy and
well-mixed.   

Sift
together flour and soda.  Add a little at
a time to the butter mixture, mixing until well mixed.  Add food coloring (if desired) and mix well. 

Divide
dough into four equal parts.  Place each
fourth onto a piece of waxed paper.  Form
the dough into a long roll (like a log), about 1 inch in diameter.  If desired, you can roll the dough ‘log’ over
colored sugar to give a decorative edge. 
  Roll up each log in the waxed
paper, then place on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator.  Chill at least 3-4 hours.

 

California Gourmet Icebox Cookies - ready to bake

 

Take
a roll from the refrigerator, remove the waxed paper, then slice into pieces
about 1/8 inch thick, placing each slice 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie
sheet.   If desired, sprinkle tops with
decorative and/or flavored sugar.  Bake at
375° F (190° C) for 5-8 minutes (or when edges are a light golden brown).  Remove cookie sheet from oven.  Let cool about 1 minute, then remove cookies
to a cooling rack. 

Store
in an airtight tin or glass cookie jar for up to 2 weeks.  

___________

* We use ½
cup butter & ½ cup margarine or vegetable shortening

** Use an
alcohol extract of any garden mint whose flavor you like.  For instructions see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2016/04/california-gourmet-making-flavored.html

 

California Meltaway Mint Icebox Cookies.

These cookies are flavored with native mint extracts

 

Here is
another icebox cookie recipe that works well with our native mint
extracts.  The texture is somewhere
between a cookie and a candy – utterly delish!

We modified
this recipe from a peppermint cookie recipe posted by The Kitchen McCabe: http://thekitchenmccabe.com/

 

California Meltaway Mint Icebox
Cookies

1 ¼ cups
butter or margarine (we used ½ butter/1/2 shortening)

½ cup
powdered sugar

1 ½ cups
all-purpose flour

½ cup
cornstarch

¼ tsp
vanilla extract

5 tsp.
native mint extract*

Food coloring
(if desired)

Colored sugar
crystals, decorative sugar or flavored sugar**

 

Place the
softened butter/margarine and powdered sugar in mixer bowl.  Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, until light
and fluffy.  Add extracts and mix in. 

Sift
together flour and cornstarch.   Add to
butter mixture in several batches and mix until just combined.   Add food coloring if desired and mix in. 

Place
dough on a sheet of waxed paper (18-20 inches long).  Form dough into long roll (log) about 1 to 1 ½
inches in diameter.   

Spread
colored/flavored sugar on waxed paper. 
Roll log in the sugar to coat the outside edges.  Pour off excess sugar (if any). 

Wrap log
in waxed paper.  Chill on a cookie sheet
in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. 

 

Slicing California Meltaway Mint Cookies

 

Remove
dough from refrigerator.  Unwrap and cut
into 1/8-1/4 inch slices.  Place 1 inch
apart on ungreased cookie sheet.   Bake
at 300° F (150° C) oven for 12-15 minutes. 
Bake shorter time for softer cookie; longer for crisper cookie.  Cookies remain white - don’t really brown. 

Remove
cookie sheet from oven.  Transfer cookies
to a wire rack to cool.   When completely
cool, store in an airtight container. 

Makes about
45 cookies.

____________________

* Use an
alcohol extract of any garden mint whose flavor you like.  For instructions see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2016/04/california-gourmet-making-flavored.html

**
We like to make flavored sugars for
a finishing touch.  Place 1 cup of granulated
sugar in a jar or plastic container.  Add
¼ cups mint leaves (of the same flavor as the extract), washed, patted dry and
coarsely chopped.  Cover and let sit 24
hours, shaking occasionally.  Remove the
leaf pieces using a sieve.  Dry the sugar
(air dry or in a warm oven) until it no longer clumps.  Store in an airtight jar; use within a month
for best flavor.    The sugar can be
colored with a few drops of food coloring. 
Just add coloring to the jar, then shake until all the sugar is
colored.   

Cookies flavored with extracts made from

 California native mints.

 

We hope you’re
inspired to use your new mint extracts in new and creative ways.  These recipes are just a starting place – enjoy! 

____________________________________________________

We encourage you to
send us your questions, comments and recipes (either comment below or e-mail to
us at : mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com

Read More

End of Season Blow-out Native Plant Sale - April 29-30

The CSU Dominguez Hills native plant nursery is having an end of season sale April 29-30.  Most one gallon plants are $5.00, most smaller plants are $2.50 (unheard of prices in 2016).  Plan to come and stock up on some great, useful native plants.

For more see: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/2016/04/end-of-season-plant-sale-april-29-30.html

Read More

California Gourmet: Making Flavored Extracts from Native Mints

 

It’s
spring – time for garden tours, tea parties and other garden events.  Once again, we’re dreaming up recipes to
feature at Mother Nature’s Backyard events. 
The current abundance of flavorful mint leaves got us thinking about
making mint extracts.  These extracts can
be used to flavor a wide array of California Gourmet treats, from cookies and
candies to beverages and baked goods. 

The
Mint family (Lamiaceae) contains a
number of aromatic plants whose flavors can be used for cooking.  For the most part, leaves are the principal
plant part used.  The sages (Salvia species) and Desert lavender (Hyptis emoryi) are best used fresh or
dried as flavoring for savory condiments as well as soups, stews, cooked
vegetables and breads. 

Plants
in other Mint genera can be used in both sweet and savory dishes including
teas, sauces, syrups, flavored vinegars, vegetable dishes and baked goods. They
are welcome additions to traditional recipes that use mint (fresh or dried) or
mint extracts.   This group includes Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathaceae), the Clinopodium (Satureja) species, the Lepechinias,
the Mentha, Monardella and Pycnanthemum species, and Wooly
bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum). 

While
fresh leaves are handy in season, many native mints have ‘peak’ and ‘off’
seasons.  To use these flavors in the off
season, you’ll need to preserve them in some way.  In addition, fresh or dried leaves – even well
chopped or ground – don’t incorporate well into some recipes, like candies and
cookies.  So if you want to make a batch
of Yerba Buena fudge, you’ll need to extract the flavors into a useable liquid.

The
three main ways to preserve native mint flavors are: 1) to dry the leaves; 2)
to make a water-based extract using the leaves; 3) to make an alcohol-based
extract.  Each method is simple and
straight-forward, requiring few ingredients and no exotic equipment.  We outline the basics of each method below.

 

Coyote mint (Monardella villosa) in local garden

Collecting
and preparing leaves for preservation

One of the
advantages of using plants from your garden is you know exactly what species
you’re collecting and that the leaves are pesticide-free.  First, be sure that the leaves you’re using are
edible.  We have a list of
California native tea plants that’s a good start: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/south-bay-native-plants-teas-beverages.  
The FDA Poisonous Plant Database is a searchable internet resource with
information on a wide range of toxic plants: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/plantox/textResults.cfm. 
If uncertain, consult this excellent resource before you ingest any new
plant part.

Collect
leaves that are mature, but not diseased or becoming senescent.  In Southern California, the best season to
collect many types of mint leaves is mid- to late spring.  In areas with more spring/summer rain, the
optimal time may be late spring to mid-summer. 
Pick only healthy leaves, collected in the late morning for optimal
flavor.

 

Rinse
the leaves well in tap water to remove dust, etc.   Pat the leaves dry and they are ready for drying.
 If preparing a water or alcohol extract,
shake off excess water, then the chop the leaves into small pieces.  Once cut, mound the leaves on the cutting board
and hit the mound with a mallet or meat tenderizer (or the flat of a heavy
knife) to bruise the leaves.  The leaves
are then ready to make either a water or alcohol extract.

 

Drying leaves for tea or dried herbs

 

Preservation
by drying

One
of the easiest ways to preserve any type of mint leaf is to dry it.  The leaves can be dried in a food dehydrator,
in a warm oven, or in a warm dry place. 
If using an oven or air drying, we like to put a piece of clean window
screen (purchased at your local hardware store) on top of a cooling rack. The
leaves are spread evenly on the screen. The rack is then placed in a jellyroll pan
(or cookie sheet with sides) to catch any crumbs.

 

Oven
drying requires a low temperature (140° F maximum; 60° C) to retain the
flavors.  We like to heat the oven to
140, turn off the heat, then let the leaves dry in the cooling oven.  You may need to repeat the process several
times to get the leaves fully dry.

Once
the leaves are completely dry and crumbly, pack them into a clean, glass jar
with an air-tight lid.  Label and date,
then store in your spice cupboard. Dried native leaf spices retain their
potency for about a year (long enough to get you through to the next season).   To use
in soups and stews, add whole dried leaves to the pot; remove leaves before serving.
To use as a ground spice or for tea, grind leaves in a spice grinder or mortar
& pestle. Grinding spices just prior to use gives the best flavor.     

 

Wild mint extracted using water extraction method

 

Preserving
as a water extract

Another
easy way to extract Mint flavors is by making a water extraction – essentially a
strong herbal tea – from the leaves. 
This extract can be used in any recipe that calls for water as a liquid,
including cookies, candies, and other baked goods.  The advantage of this method is that it’s
quick and easy.  You can make the extract
from either fresh or dried leaves.  The
flavors are wonderful and fresh, particularly when you use fresh leaves.   The disadvantage is that the extract must be
refrigerated, and it loses its potency within a month or so.

The
preparation is simple.  Take prepared
leaves that have been chopped and/or bruised to release their flavor. Place
leaves in a non-metal bowl (glass or pyrex) or glass measuring cup.  For all but the most delicate of the mints
(see below), heat water almost to the boil. 
Pour hot water over prepared leaves; let sit until cooled to room
temperature.  For a good flavor, use
plenty of leaves – just cover the leaves with water.

 

Strain
out the leaf material using a fine-mesh sieve or strainer.  You can also use a paper coffee filter to strain
out the leaf matter.  Once strained, the
extract is ready to use.  Store unused ‘tea’
in an air-tight, well-labelled jar in the refrigerator for a month or so.   

Some
Mints have very delicate flavors that do not stand up well to hot water.  The Clinopodiums
(Saturejas) and a few of the Monardellas come to mind.   For these, prepare the leaves as above, then
cover with water at room temperature.  Let the mixture sit for 1-2 hours to extract
the flavor.  Strain, then use in your
favorite recipe.

 

Hummingbird sage extract using alcohol

 

Preserving
as an alcohol extract

Making
alcohol extracts is simplicity itself. 
All that’s required are the leaves, some vodka (mid-price-range types
will do) and time.  And while the extracts
are not as concentrated as commercial cooking extracts (commercial ones are
distilled to concentrate the flavors) they work wonderfully in the recipes
we’ve used them in.

Place
the cut/bruised leaves into an airtight glass jar.  Pour vodka over the leaves to cover. Label
the jar with contents and date.  Tightly
cap and place in a shady place (in a cupboard or pantry is good).  Rotate the jar every day for the first week
or so.  Then let the jar sit for another
week or two to allow the extraction to complete.

 

Strain
out the leaf material using a fine-mesh sieve, strainer or coffee filter.  At this point you can bottle and use the
extract, but it will be mild-flavored.   To make a more concentrated extract, prepare
another batch of leaves, place in a clean jar, pour the extract over the new
leaves, and proceed as before.   You can
repeat the concentrating process several times to get the strength you like.   This is an old trick from back when
commercial extracts weren’t available; at one time, everyone made their own ‘kitchen
extracts’ for common flavoring agents.  

After
the last straining, pour the completed extract into a clean glass bottle
(dark-colored ones are good), cap and clearly label with contents and
date.  Store along with your other flavored
extracts.   Alcohol-based extracts retain
their potency for several years.

Use
your extract in your favorite recipes. 
Because home extracts are milder, you may need to increase the amount
used (up to twice what the recipe calls for; you’ll just have to taste and adjust
as needed).  You may also want to use a
few drops of vanilla extract, along with your home extract, to make the flavors
‘pop’.

'Hint of Hummingbird Sage' cookies

 

We
hope we’ve inspired you to try the ‘Mints’ in your garden in your favorite
recipes.  If you have wild mints,
Monardellas, Clinopodia, Hummingbird sage or Fragrant pitchersage (April, 2016
Plant of the Month) in your garden, you might want to brew up a batch or two of
extract using your favorite flavors. And be sure to look for our recipe for
‘Hint of Hummingbird Sage’ cookies, which uses our home extract, later this
month (April, 2016).

 

____________________________________________________

We encourage you to
send us your questions, comments and recipes (either comment below or e-mail to
us at : mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com

Read More

Plant of the Month (April) : Fragrant pitchersage – Lepechinia fragrans

Fragrant pitchersage (Lepechinia fragrans) - Mother Nature's Backyard garden

Several
local plants are putting on quite a show this year, despite spotty rains and plenty
of wind. One that’s looking spectacular is our Plant of the Month, Fragrant
pitchersage.  If you want to see the
pretty flowers, now’s the time to visit Mother Nature’s Backyard.  If you can’t make it this month, other
attributes of this lovely  sub-shrub can
be enjoyed year-round.

The
genus Lepechinia, the Pitchersage
genus, is an attractive member of the Mint family (Lamiaceae). Most of the approximately 45 species have the unusual
pitcher-shaped flowers that give the genus its common name.  Lepechinia
are native to South and Central America (to central Argentina) north to the coastal
Northern California foothills. 

There
are five species native to California, with Lepechinia
fragrans being the most abundant in Los Angeles County.  Like most Lepechnias, it grows in the
foothills and lower mountain flanks – in this case of the local Santa Monica
and San Gabriel Mountains.  It can also
be found on both the Northern and Southern Channel Islands.   The plants are usually scattered among other
chaparral species, most often on north-facing slopes and in canyons that
provide a little summer shade.

 

Fragrant
pitchersage is a perennial sub-shrub that can grow to 6+ feet wide, but is usually
3-6 ft. (1-2 m.) tall and wide.   Plants are vase-shaped in youth, becoming regular,
upright and mounded within several years; they become increasingly irregular and
sprawling with age (see photo, above).  Plants tend to remain more compact in sunnier
positions - and if they are pruned.  The
lower portions of the branches are woody and brittle, while the new foliage is
succulent and herbaceous.

The
plant grows new side branches each year in late winter, sprouting somewhat
irregularly from the mature wood. The new branches give the plant a fresh, youthful
appearance each spring.   The wood itself
is rather brittle – it can even be broken in a wind storm.  Older branches also seem prone to unexpected
winter die-off, at least in our hands.

Fragrant pitchersage (Lepechinia fragrans) - spring foliage

(dry season foliage in inset)

 

The
new spring foliage is pale green and densely covered with velvety hairs.   The leaves are simple, lance-shaped, with a
stout petiole (leaf stalk) on the lower leaves. 
The leaves often have shallowly dentate margins (like small pointed
teeth). The lower leaves are bigger (to nearly 5 inches; 10-12 cm.) than the
upper ones.  Leaf color is fresh green to
gray-green in early spring, somewhat darker in sunnier conditions (see photo above).   

Like many
local native shrubs, Lepechinia fragrans
produces two sets of leaves a year: a larger, more succulent set in
winter/spring and a smaller, drier and darker set in late spring.  Some/many of the spring leaves are shed
during the dry season.  Don’t be alarmed when
this happens – it’s a perfectly normal adaptation to our dry climate (for more
see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2015/10/how-things-work-plant-drought-tolerance.html).

  

Fragrant pitchersage (Lepechinia fragrans) -

Close-up of foliage, showing trichomes

 

As
seen in the photo above, the new foliage (and even the flowers) is sticky with
glandular hairs (trichomes).  These
produce the chemicals that combine to produce a distinctive fragrance.  This species is aptly described as ‘fragrant’;
brush by it or rub a leaf in your hands to release a fresh, minty, but entirely
unique scent.  We grow this plant in part
for its aroma, which we add to potpourri, tea and other dishes.

As
far as we know, the chemical composition of Fragrant pitchersage has yet to be
studied.  But other Lepechinias make a complex mix of aromatic chemicals – many with
medicinal properties.  The closely
related Lepechinia calycina produces anti-oxidant
and anti-bacterial compounds and is used medicinally to treat colds and uterine
infections, and as a poultice for skin problems.   It was also combined with olive oil and Creosote
bush (Larrea tridentata) to make an
early sunscreen. Mexican and Peruvian Lepechinia
are well-known medicinal plants, whose chemicals are currently being evaluated for
medical potential. We suspect that Lepechinia
fragrans also has medicinal properties.

Fragrant pitchersage (Lepechinia fragrans) 'El Tigre'

 

Fragrant
pitchersage has exquisite flowers.  A
pale lavender color, they hang down from long, slender flowering stalks.  There are often 10-15 flowers per ‘wand’ in
our gardens.   The calyx (formed of fused sepals) also has a
purplish tinge.  In the ‘El Tigre’
cultivar (see above), the calices are a dark red-purple and very showy
indeed.  The flower color is also a
little darker in this cultivar (at least when we’ve seen it).

Fragrant pitchersage (Lepechinia fragrans): close-up of flowers

Fragrant pitchersage (Lepechinia fragrans): flowers & seed

 capsules

 

The
close-up picture, above, shows the unique shape of the flowers.  The petals are fused into a funnel-shaped throat
with three upper lobes and two fused lower lobes that form the ‘lip’ or ‘pouring
spout’ of the pitcher.   The coloration is subtle, often with streaks
of white or paler violet and darker veins. 
 The sexual parts - two pairs of
stamens and a double-lobed style – are mostly hidden within the flower’s throat.  You can see them shadowed in the previous
photo.

As
the flower matures, the calyx enlarges and becomes more purple-tinged.  It ultimately forms a dry, persistent seed
capsule that contains four smooth, round, dark seeds.  You can see flowers at all stages of
development in the photograph above. 

 

Monarch butterfly on Fragrant pitchersage (Lepechinia fragrans)

 

The
main pollinators of Fragrant pitchersage are the large bees, primarily
bumblebees.   But hummingbirds and large
butterflies, like the Monarch seen above, also visit the flowers with some regularity.  We suspect they also contribute some effort
to the pollination process.  The flowers
in our gardens produce abundant seeds; the pollinators are efficient, whomever
they may be.

Fragrant
pitchersage is not particular about soil texture.  We’ve grown it in both sandy and clay soils;
it may do a little better in clays, but is possible in either extreme.  Providing the correct light conditions is a bit
trickier.  Plants become leggy and are
short-lived in too much shade; but they also balk at hot, sunny
conditions.   The ideal is bright shade
(on the north side of a wall or tall hedge) or a place with good morning sun
and a little afternoon shade. 

Fragrant pitchersage (Lepechinia fragrans) gets some

 afternoon shade - Madrona Marsh Nature Center,

 Torrance CA

 

As
with many chaparral shrubs, Lepechinia
fragrans is quite drought tolerant once established, but tolerates
occasional summer water.  If you live in
the lowlands of Western Los Angeles or Orange Counties, watch the weather
reports for the surrounding foothills. 
If the foothills are getting rain, you might want to give your Lepechinia a little artificial ‘rain’. 

On
the whole, Lepechinia fragrans is
easy to grow.  Fresh seeds germinate with
no special treatment, and seedlings mature quickly into elegant plants.  Tip-prune shoots during the growing season to
produce a plant that’s bushy and full.  That’s really about all that’s required; this
plant is not usually bothered by pests. 
Unlike other Lepechinias, this
species does NOT respond well being severely cut back in the fall. 



Fragrant pitchersage (Lepechinia fragrans) can be used

 in many ways in the garden

 

While
Fragrant pitchersage has a reputation for being short-lived, it’s well worth a spot
in your garden.  Plant it as a specimen
plant in a place of honor.  Since it
takes some shade, it can be used in narrow side-yards and on the north side of
walls.  We like it as a background plant
in mixed beds with Douglas iris, Heucheras, hummingbird sage and other native mints
and woodmints.  And while we’ve never
grown it in a container, we’ve seen a nice example at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic
garden.  

Be sure to locate
it where you can enjoy the flowers – and the hummingbirds, bees and butterflies
– close at hand.  Place it where you can
easily rub the leaves for a quick ‘pick-me-up’ as you walk by.   Harvest leaves for use in fresh spring tea;
you’ll probably also want to dry some for later use.  Fragrant pitchersage makes a lovely iced tea
in summer and can be made as a sun tea (see http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2012/06/making-tea-from-california-native-mint.html).

In
summary, Lepechinia fragrans is a joy
to behold – in bloom or not – and a must for aroma gardens. It’s part of our
vanishing natural heritage here in Los Angeles County; it ties us to the land
and the wild bounty of our local foothills.  We hope you’ll consider it for a brightly
shady area of your own garden.



Fragrant pitchersage (Lepechinia fragrans) - Mother Nature's Backyard

 

For a
gardening information sheet see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/gardening-sheet-lepechinia-fragrans

For more
pictures of this plant see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/lepechinia-fragrans-web-show

For plant
information sheets on other native plants see: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-native-plants_17.html

 

 

We
welcome your comments (below).  You can
also send your questions to: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Read More