GOING WILD WITH NATIVES: Native Plants in Favorite Flavors: Minty Good!
- Aug 1
- 6 min read
By Susan Lewitt, for Let’s Talk Plants! August 2026.
Going Wild with Natives: Native Plants in Favorite Flavors: Minty Good!
All those who love mint, raise your hands, please. Thank you. I thought there were a few mint lovers out there! You’re in luck because there are several members of the mint family that are native to San Diego and available from local native plant nurseries. Are you ready to find out how to make your garden smell of minty goodness?
Although San Diego County is overflowing with native mint species such as San Diego Thornmint, and San Diego Mesa Mint, as well as Otay Mesa Mint, many are mostly found in the natural areas of our county. Occasionally, some of these will pop up in nurseries, or at the CNPS San Diego chapter plant sale which is in October. Others found mainly in natural areas include Field Mint (Mentha arvensis), and Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum californicum). What follows are the ones that are more readily available from local nurseries. And please, never take native plants from wild areas without a permit. But harvest as much of any invasive species as you want from anywhere!
Willowy Mint, also known as Willowy Monardella, includes several species and varieties, some of which are rarely found in nurseries. Monardella viminea is one that is found in local nurseries. This perennial herb has a pleasant fragrance, and soft flowers of pink and lavender appear during the summer. With a deep watering once a month and up to twice a month during the summer, this plant will stay green and bloom again throughout the year.
Willowy Mint is ideal for containers and can reach about 19 inches tall by 4 feet wide. It is easily grown in full sun to partial shade. This plant will tolerate a variety of soil types including coarse rocky sand, and sandy clay. It is found in Chaparral and Coastal Sage Scrub possibly near California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum), California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum), Broom Baccharis (Baccharis sarothroides), Narrowleaf Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis), and Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum). Companion chaparral shrubs include Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus minutiflorus), Hollyleaf Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia), Scrub Oak (Quercus spp.), and California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica). It supports a multitude of wildlife such as birds including hummingbirds, bees, bats, butterflies, moths, and caterpillars.
Coyote Mint (Monardella villosa) will delight your senses by filling your yard with the delightful scent of mint, and soft lavender flowers during the summer that will draw bees and butterflies to your garden. This mint plant also supports bats, birds including hummingbirds, butterflies caterpillars and moths. One such moth is the Bumblebee Moth (Hemaris thetis) This plant will stay relatively compact at 2 feet tall by 3 feet wide. It is usually evergreen, but can be summer deciduous. This plant has been used to replace lawns, is deer resistant, and can be grown in containers. It is widely available while another similar species, Mountain Coyote Mint (Monardella odoratissima) is not found in as many nearby nurseries.
In your garden, find a sunny or partially shady location for this plant that likes medium draining soils of many varieties including serpentine soil. Once it is established, deep watering twice a month during summer weather will keep it happy. It may be grown near low-growing perennials, annuals, native grasses, or succulents. Companion plants might include Chinese Houses (Colllinsia heterophylla), Monkeyflower (Diplacus spp.), Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum), Yellow-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium californicum), groundcover Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos spp.), low-growing Buckwheats (Eriogonum grande var. rubescens or umbellatum), California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), and Dudleya spp.
Then there is one that is a bit different: Desert Lavender (Condea emoryi). This shrub is another fragrant native plant with foliage that is silvery-white, with flowers of striking purple, possibly year-round. It has the potential to be 6 to 12 feet tall and 8 feet wide, so give it space. Don’t be concerned if this plant loses a few leaves during the summer. This is normal as it can be summer semi-deciduous. Summer is also a great time to prune this shrub into a desired shape such as a hedge. Butterflies and caterpillars are supported by this plant. One butterfly that you could see is the Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus).
Grow this plant in full sun, and fast draining soil, preferably of sand or decomposed granite. Once established it is best only watered once a month during summer weather. To keep this plant happy, you might add a few of the following companion plants: Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis), Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata), Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis), Blue Paloverde (Parkinsonia florida), White Bursage (Ambrosia dumosa), Chuparosa (Justicia californica), Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus), Desert Agave (Agave deserti), Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa), Indigo Bush (Psorothamnus spp.), Smoke Tree (Psorothamnus spinosus), Apricot Mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua), Opuntia spp., and some of the many of native annual wildflowers.
Want a really enjoyable Mojito that you can make with your own fresh ingredients? Grow Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii) which is available for purchase from local nurseries. A related species, San Diego Yerba Buena (Clinopodium chandleri), is very rare, but is also available in some local nurseries. Yerba Buena, which means “good herb” in Spanish, is in the mint family. It is a creeping perennial herb that has been used as ground cover, in rock gardens, and containers. It may reach 4 to 7 feet tall and 3 feet wide, and will have white to soft pink flowers in the spring and summer. Yerba Buena also has a sweet fragrance.
Deep shade to partial shade will allow this plant to thrive. It is adaptable to many soil types with any drainage, and may be watered once a week in the summer once established. The flowing native trees will provide shade and companionship: Madrone (Arbutus menziesii), Tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus), Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata), Oaks (Quercus spp.), Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica). Several shrubs and herbs work well with it and include Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria vesca), Monkeyflower (Erythranthe cardinalis or guttatus), Coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis), Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana), Bluff Lettuce (Dudleya farinosa) and Pacific Stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium). Not only is it good for margaritas, it also supports bats, butterflies and caterpillars. The Orange Mint Moth (Pyrausta orphisalis) is one that depends on Yerba Buena. Find out much more fascinating Yerba Buena facts in the following article: “15 Facts About Yerba Buena” (https://ohmyfacts.com/food-beverage/vegetables/15-facts-about-yerba-buena/)
Many of these native plant species have been used for a multitude of purposes such as food and medicine, especially some of these in the mint family. Also, as far as fire resistance goes, all plants will eventually burn if the fire is hot enough, but native plants will need less water to keep them well hydrated and more fire resistant than exotic species. For more information for these native plants that are members of the mint family and many other local native plants, go to Calscape (https://calscape.org/). Some of these plants and many other natives will be available at the California Native Plant Society’s Fall Plant Sale at Sikes Historic Adobe Farmstead, October 17th, so save the date, start making a plant plan and come and enjoy the sale. More details will follow in the September and October articles.
