Anemopsis

anemopsis

( an - em - MOP - sis )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus of flowering perennial plants is also referred to as Yerba Mansa ('calming herb' in Spanish) or Lizard Tail, and plants need full sun to light shade and regular to ample water to perform well in the garden. They are native to wetlands in the southwest United States and northwestern Mexico. They spread vigorously and are a great choice for creek-side plantings, beneath moisture-loving trees, in bioswales or around low, wet areas of the garden. Individual plants reach 1 foot tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, forming large, dense colonies over time. Foliage has a spicy, musty scent that is detectable from a distance on warm days. In late spring and summer, white flowers bloom atop white bracts just above foliage. The plant tints red in colder weather. The genus Anemopsis has only one species, Anemopsis californica, and is a member of the family Saururaceae. These plants grow well in USDA hardiness zones 7-10 and can handle temperatures down to 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Caring for anemopsis

Plant your Anemopsis, or Yerba Mansa, in a sheltered place in the garden that gets full sun to light shade; ideally, they appreciate between 6 and 8 hours of sun each day for the best blooms, but can take some shade in the afternoon when temperatures are at their peak. They need to have protection from drying winds to thrive. These plants can be somewhat invasive in the garden, spreading by underground roots. It is recommended that a barrier is buried around the planting area to discourage this tendency. Ensure that soil is rich in nutrients and has a pH of between 5.0 and 9.0 (acidic to alkaline). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing plants. Apply a layer of mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water new plantings regularly as they establish themselves in the landscape. At maturity, Yerba Mansa flowers like to be situated in boggy conditions, doing well by bodies of water, in bioswales or depressed areas of the landscape, or wetland environments.

Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. To prune, cut back plants to the ground in late winter for profuse springtime growth and flowering. Deadhead flowers as they fade during the growing season. Yerba Mansa plants will naturally go dormant in late fall and pop up again the following spring, and fading leaves can be removed as they yellow and die back. Yerba Mansa are perennial plants with a spreading habit, and can therefore survive in garden spaces indefinitely.

Propagation

Yerba Mansa can be propagated by seed, division or root cutting. These plants will reproduce asexually via creeping underground rhizomes, and clumps can be divided from time to time for planting elsewhere or simply to control spread. To propagate your Yerba Mansa, follow the directions below:

Propagating Anemopsis by Seed
Before trying this method, keep in mind that propagation by seed does not ensure that you will end up with the exact same plant as you harvested the seed from. If you are looking for an exact clone of the parent plant, propagate by division or root cutting. To complete this propagation method, you will need to allow the flowers to stay on the plant long enough to come to seed, so do not deadhead all of your flowers. Seeds will be mature and ready to harvest in late summer, when the flowers have dried and are brown in color. These flowers do not self-pollinate, so they will need the help of visitor pollinator insects (or be helped along by a Q-tip). Cut the flower heads off of your plant at this time, and take the seeds out of their pods. For pictures of the dried flowers and seeds, see the images below. To grow Yerba Mansa from seed, follow these directions:

Gather your materials. You will need a pot or seed tray and well-draining potting soil.
If you are growing just a few seeds, you can use a pot, though if you are growing more than just a few, use a growing tray. Prepare your pot or growing tray by filling it with well-draining potting soil.
Place your seeds on top of the potting mix, spaced about 4- 6 inches apart. Sprinkle potting medium over the top until the seeds are just lightly dusted. As the seeds are starting out, it is best to use a spray bottle to add moisture to avoid uncovering their light soil topping. Keep the soil moist as the seeds develop, using a seed tray cover or plastic bag to cover your pot to keep moisture in and humidity high.
Continue to monitor for moisture and adequate soil covering until the seeds start to sprout, which should take about 5 weeks. Once the chance of frost has passed by, seedlings can be transplanted to a sunny area of the garden. Keep the soil moist as the plant develops.

Propagating Anemopsis by Division
Division is probably the easiest way to propagate these plants. The idea behind this method is that you are taking an existing clump of live plants and breaking it into smaller segments. This is something you will want to do whether or not you are looking to propagate your plant, as they need to be divided every so often for health reasons. Otherwise, the roots will become too crowded. Division should be attempted only when the plant is not in its blooming period. To use this method, you will need a clean shovel, clean pruning saw, extra pots if you are not going to immediately plant your divisions in the ground, and well-draining soil to fill the pots (again, if you will not be planting your divisions directly into the ground). To propagate your Yerba Mansa by division, follow the instructions below:

Identify the area of plants you're going to divide. Start by loosening the soil around the plant with your shovel, working your way inward to avoid causing damage to the roots. Once you've gotten your clump of Yerba Mansa out of the ground, lay it out on its side.
Divide the clump into segments, either with your shovel or with a pruning saw, as many as you'd like as long as there is at least one viable 'shoot' per segment. Inspect each segment to ensure health, trimming off any diseased or dying parts and lay them out on the ground.
If you will be planting your Yerba Mansa division in the ground, this is when you'll prepare your new hole. Dig a hole (large enough to accommodate the root ball of the clump you are planting) in the ground with your shovel in a sunny location with soil that is well-draining. Backfill and water generously.
If you are transporting your division elsewhere, or hanging on to it until you're ready to plant it, you'll need your pot filled with potting soil. Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the root ball of your division, and place your new plant in the soil. Water generously, ensuring that adequate drainage is occurring. Place the pot in a sunny location until you are ready to plant it in the ground.

Propagating Anemopsis by Root Cutting

In late fall or early winter, dig down to find the roots of your plant. Cut a 3-4 inch section from the root. Trim off any 'hairs' or smaller roots coming off of the main root. Note that the roots will not grow if they are planted upside-down, so make sure you keep them right side up. In other words, keep track of which end of your cutting was closer to the crown. They should look like the picture shown below.
Fill your pot or tray with well-draining potting medium amended with compost. Insert the cuttings into the potting medium, bottom side down, until they are able to stay upright without help.
Keep your cuttings in a cool place that receives bright, indirect light, and wait for leaves to appear. The following spring, after the last frost has passed, plant your roots outdoors where you'd like them to grow, after tilling and amending the soil by adding about a 2-4 inch layer of compost.

Brown seeds are held on the cone-like flower spikes that rise above the bracts.

Yerba Mansa seeds are very small; each flower spike can produce upwards of one hundred seeds.

Yerba Mansa roots can be dug up and replanted.

Problems and Pests

Yerba Mansa can be susceptible to developing issues with the following pests and diseases in the landscape:

Brown Spot
Leaf Beetles
Caterpillars

For more information on these issues, including how to prevent and eradicate them, see the links below:

Pests & Pest Management

Plant Issues

Gallery

The larger white parts of the flower are actually bracts, not petals. The real petals are very small, and are held in the flowers on the protruding cone-like structure.