Yerba buena or hierba buena is the Spanish name for a number of aromatic plants, most of which belong to the

mint family The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory, ...

. ''Yerba buena'' translates as "good herb". The specific plant species regarded as ''yerba buena'' varies from region to region, depending on what grows wild in the surrounding landscape, or which species is customarily grown in local gardens. Perhaps the most common variation of this plant is spearmint (''

Mentha spicata Spearmint, also known as garden mint, common mint, lamb mint and mackerel mint, is a species of mint, ''Mentha spicata'' (, native to Europe and southern temperate Asia, extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east. It is nat ...

''). The term has been (and is currently) used to cover a number of aromatic true mints and mint relatives of the genera ''

Clinopodium ''Clinopodium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. It is in the tribe Mentheae of the subfamily Nepetoideae, but little else can be said with certainty about its phylogenetic position. The genus name ''Clinopodium'' is de ...

'', ''

Satureja ''Satureja'' is a genus of aromatic plants of the family Lamiaceae, related to rosemary and thyme. It is native to North Africa, southern and southeastern Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. A few New World species were formerly included ...

'' or ''

Micromeria ''Micromeria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, widespread across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America, with a center of diversity in the Mediterranean region and the Canary Islands. It is sometimes placed withi ...

''. All plants so named are associated with medicinal properties, and some have culinary value as

herbal tea Herbal teas, also known as herbal infusions and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Oftentimes herb tea, or the plain term ...

s or seasonings as well.

Local variants

In the western

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, ''yerba buena'' most often refers to the species ''

Clinopodium douglasii ''Clinopodium douglasii'', or yerba buena, is a rambling aromatic herb of western and northwestern North America, ranging from maritime Alaska southwards to California. The plant takes the form of a sprawling, mat-forming perennial, and is espec ...

'' (synonyms: ''Satureja douglasii'', ''Micromeria douglasii''), but may rarely refer to ''

Eriodictyon californicum ''Eriodictyon californicum'' is a species of plant within the family Boraginaceae. It is also known as yerba santa (sacred herb), mountain balm, bear's weed, gum bush, gum plant, and consumptive weed.Patricia Kaminski and Richard Katz.Yerba Santa ...

'', which is more commonly known as yerba santa. In parts of Central America ''yerba buena'' often refers to

Eau de Cologne mint Eau de Cologne mint, also known as orange mint and bergamot mint, is a cultivated mint. In a 1970 study, most plants were found to be male sterile forms of ''Mentha aquatica'', so were regarded as ''Mentha aquatica'' var. ''citrata'', although in ...

, a true mint sometimes called "bergamot mint" with a strong citrus-like aroma that is used medicinally and as a cooking herb and tea. In Cuba, yerba buena generally refers to '' Mentha nemorosa'', a popular plant also known as large apple mint, foxtail mint, hairy mint, woolly mint or, simply, Cuban mint. In

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

a close relative of traditional culinary savory, '' Clinopodium vimineum'' (formerly ''Satureja viminea''), is sometimes used. In Colombia, Yerba Buena is known for having many medicinal purposes, As it helps with digestion and Bilis activity and with Inflammation. The herb is mostly located in the Andino region of the country. Cundinamarca and Antioquia.

References

5) https://www.colombia.co/pais-colombia/hierbas-aromaticas-que-existen-en-colombia/

External link

{{commonscatinline, Clinopodium douglasii, ''Clinopodium douglasii'' Herbs Herbal tea Plant common names