Lamiaceae / Monardella odoratissima / Mountain Coyote Mint

The other day, while wandering around before a walk led by the magnificent @mountainsongmedicine, I found myself straddling the margins between a beautiful meadow and the comforting forest. As I meandered along the flora, I began to notice the most intense scent surrounding me. I’m embarrassed to admit it took me far too long before I actually realized it was the plants below which were the source. 

Coyote Mint may very well hold the title of most fragrant in the Sierra Nevada Range (if you know of another…I’d be curious to hear!). These cute plants reach roughly 50 cm height with opposite, lanceolate, entire leaves along the stem. Generally purple tinged, they have numerous glands on their abaxial (lower) surface. Flower clusters contain numerous flowers ranging from white to purple and about 1-3 cm in length.  

The fresh or dried leaves and inflorescences make an excellent hot or cold tea. In fact, we find it to be one of the best mint teas one can acquire from either the wild or the garden.