Primarily a chaparral plant, Yerba Santa spreads by roots & seeds after a fire. Road E overlooking Searsville Lake, February 7, 2010 at 11:06 am. "Yerba Santa, meaning holy weed in Spanish, was named by missionaries when they were told by Indians of its many medicinal uses. A bitter tea made from the leaves was used to treat everything from tuberculosis to rheumatism, including coughs, sore throats, and asthma. A weaker tea was used as a blood purifier. Fresh leaves in a poultice were bound on sores, and a strong solution brewed from the leaves was used to soothe sore and tired limbs. Some tribes smoked or chewed these leaves like tobacco." Lyons, Kathleen and Mary Beth Cune-Lazaneo, "Plants of the Coast Redwood Region", Shoreline Press, Soquel, CA 1998, [email protected].