Surely you’ve seen her everywhere? She fills the arroyos and waves lithe and tall on the roadsides. She is Hyptis emoryi, known as desert lavender and bee sage in English, and lavanda and salvia in Spanish.
Like the lavender and sage we know and love, this gentle and powerful cooling herb is in the mint family. With strong anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, it is used topically to treat skin conditions, such as irritations, cuts and burns. When taken internally, it treats respiratory and digestive issues, as well as regulating blood flow. A mild sedative, it can also be used to treat stress and anxiety. To use externally, chew up the flowers and leaves to make a poultice and apply to the skin, or throw them into your bath water (or sitz bath!). For internal use, enjoy the flowers and young leaves as a tea or make a tincture. For more info, Sonoran herbalist John Slattery has a beautiful and informative post on desert lavender on his website.
