"On the banks, on both sides of the river, 

there will grow all kinds of trees for food....

Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing" 

Ez 47:12

When we were hiking Stairway to Heaven a few weeks ago, a good hiking buddy pointed out a plant at the side of that trail that I hadnt taken notice of before. (thats odd of me...for I love the flora and fauna of the desert.) Im so grateful that she stopped to have us take note of the Yerba Santa plant...for I have learned something new and interesting here!! Lynette knew that it had medicinal qualities...so I 'googled' it and found a plethora of information on this little wonder of a plant.

Here is what I learned:

Yerba Santa – named “holy weed” by early Spanish priest because of its medicinal properties.

Here is a most interesting description of this plant-

“Yerba Santa is an exceptional member of the Waterleaf Family (Hydrophyllaceae) Most of these varieties of plant grow in cool, moist habitats, indicating a strong relationship to the watery element. Yerba Santa also has a relationship with water, although in an opposite way. With its tough, resinous leaves, it holds and conserves its water from the inside to meet the intense fire of its environment. This quality helps us to understand the medicinal use of Yerba Santa as a regulator of the water element. Yerba Santa coats the mucous membranes and holds the aqueous component in contact with the cells, reestablishing mucopolysaccharides. As such, it is an excellent herbal remedy for chronic respiratory ailments, used as an expectorant used to treat coughs and congestion, as well as aiding in loosening and expelling phlegm. It dilates bronchial tubes, and thus is used to ease asthma and allergy attacks. A tea, tincture or syrup is typically made from the leaves, sometimes including the flowers, or as a smoke from the leaves.” via 

(Lynette said that a brother-in-law of hers even quit smoking with the help of this plant. )

Unlike many medicinal herbs, yerba santa actually has a pleasant taste. It has been used as food flavoring and in cough syrups to disguise the bad taste of other ingredients.

The Lord said He would provide. Isnt it amazing that such a non-descript little plant can be full of such wonders and cures?! Remarkable!!