Plants Used by Indigenous Peoples in the Santa Cruz Mountains

Before contact in 1769, the indigenous populations planted, pruned, harvested, and used fire regimes that made California a "hot spot" for biodiversity. "The Santa Cruz County population once numbered 10,000 or more with many villages." They were associated with the Awaswas-speaking language group.
—San Lorenzo Valley Museum

The Sayanta population (adjacent to the current Felton/Zayante area) was small compared to the Cotoni, Quiroste and Uypi tribal bands. All took advantage of seasonal sources of food, and used plants for medicinal purposes, clothing, tools, shelter, and food. Below are some examples of the plants that still thrive in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Manzanitas
Genus Arctostaphylos

Bonny Doon Manzanita (Arctostaphylos silvicola) is also called silverleaf manzanita. It is endemic to the Santa Cruz Sandhills. Manzanitas have deep reddish bark, and sometimes have burls at the base of the trunk. The red berries were ground up to eat, and also made into cider. Leaves and berries were sometimes used like the modern day "Technu" to wash after poison oak contact.

Brittle-leaved Manzanita (Arctostaphylos crustacea) has fuzzy stems. The leave splits if you try to fold it.

Yerba Santa
Eriodictyon californicum

The Yerba Santa plant is found in sandhill chaparral and mixed forest habitats. The leaves are used as a tea or syrup for treatment of respiratory illnesses, coughs and fevers.  Yerba Santa is Spanish for “holy weed” or “holy herb.” 

Yarrow
​Achillea millefolium

The leaves can be used externally as first aid to ease pain and stopping bleeding and stimulating clotting. "The plant has compounds that are anti-inflammatory. The leaves and roots were chewed for tooth and gum aches, and a piece of leaf could be rolled and inserted into the cavity of a painful tooth to bring relief." ​UCSC Arboretum: Native American Uses of California Plants: Ethnobotany

​Wild Ginger
Asarum caudatum 

Wild ginger leaves were used as a poultice to bring boils to a head (and relieve toothaches). 
Indigenous peoples used wild ginger as a sedative for nervousness and insomnia.
"The stems were placed in a baby’s bed to promote calming and to relieve illness." UCSC
iNaturalist (c) Dawn Hanna (CC BY-NC)