Common Name: Vinegar Weed

General Information

Trichostema lanceolatum is an erect, annual plant with a pungent medicinal aroma. Branching from the base, the plant can grow from 10 - 100cm tall[].
The plant was a valuable medicinal herb for the native American people along the west side of N. America, and it is still often harvested from the wild for local use.

Known Hazards

The plant has been used by native peoples as an aid in catching fish. Dams would be built strategically in rivers and streamsin order to trap the fish within small ponds. Then, mashed or powdered plants were thrown into the water with the fish. After the plants were added, the fish would become sluggish and easier to catch in nets or sieves made of willow[].
Numerous reasons have been offered for this reaction including that the fish were either poisoned, their gills clogged, or that the plants affected the oxygen in the water[].

Botanical References

Range

Western N. America - Oregon, California, Baja California

Habitat

Dry open areas and disturbed habitats such as fields, roadsides and open places; usually at elevations below 1,000 metres[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Trichostema lanceolatum is a xerophytic plant that is adapted to the dry, rainless summers and moist to wet winters of California’s Mediterranean climate[].
Requires an open sunny position in a well-drained soil[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[].
The plant has a pungent medicinal odour that can be detected over long distances[].
The leaves are dotted with glands that produce the strong somewhat sour aroma[].

Edible Uses

The leaves have been used to make a drink[].

Medicinal

Trichostema lanceolatum is a medicinal herb that was highly valued by many of the native tribes of California, and is still used in the present day. In the past, the herb was considered to be so important that it was used as 'money' in trade with other tribes[].
The strongly aromatic leaves and flowers can be used either fresh or dried to make infusions of varying strengths in order to treat a myriad of maladies. A decoction or tea made from the leaves and flowers can be taken to treat conditions such as colds, stomach aches, headaches, ague, bladder problems, and malaria[, ].
The tea can be gargled to treat inflammation of the throat. The chewed leaves can be stuffed in or around an aching tooth in order to relieve pain[]. The steam from hot infusions can be sniffed into the nasal passages in order to treat colds, coughs, headaches, and nose bleeds. Sitting over a steaming decoction of the leaves has been used to treat uterine troubles[].
The raw or boiled leaves, crushed into a poultice, are used to treat wounds. The ground leaves can be rubbed on the face and chest of persons with colds, or on any place on the skin where there is pain. Leaf decoctions can be applied to infected sores, smallpox lesions, and other skin eruptions[, ].
The plant has been steeped in water and used as a bath to prevent smallpox and ague[, ].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is a locally impotant source of nectar for bees[].

Other Uses

The aromatic leaves and stems were crushed and placed in bedding to repel fleas[].

Propagation

The seeds ripen in the late autumn and collected seeds can be sown immediately or gently dried and stored[].
Stored seed can be sown in situ in the late autumn (in mild winter areas) or early spring. Prepare a seedbed that receives full sun and in an area that is well drained. Broadcast the seeds and lightly rake them into the soil. Tamp the soil snuggly over the seeds. If planting the seeds at the start of a dry season then gently sprinkle the sown bed with water and keep it lightly moist until the seedlings are established. Once established, this is very drought resistant species and will not tolerate frequent watering[].