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Plant Profile

Gander's Pitcher Sage (Lepechinia ganderi)

Photo Credit: Keir Morse

Global Rank: G3 - Vulnerable
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Lamiaceae
State: CA
Nature Serve ID: 155293
Lifeform: Subshrub, Shrub
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

Gander's Pitcher Sage is a rare species of flowering plant in the mint family that is native to chaparral, valley grassland, coastal sage scrub, and closed-cone pine forest communities within California and Baja California. The plant is an aromatic shrub characterized by slender branches coated in rough hairs and lace-shaped leaves with occasional toothed edges. Clusters of flowers are arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch. The base of each flower consists of leaflike coverings located below the white to light lavender tubular petals. The flower is lipped at the mouth. Once the petals fall, the small, dark, hairless fruit develops attached to the aforementioned leaflike structures. This species is significantly threatened by urbanization, yielding fewer than ten extant occurrences in California. This species has been listed as imperiled since 1986 and may continue to be threatened in California as resources continue to be limited by urban growth and development.

Where is Gander's Pitcher Sage (Lepechinia ganderi) located in the wild?

States & Provinces:

Gander's Pitcher Sage can be found in California

Which CPC Partners conserve Gander's Pitcher Sage (Lepechinia ganderi)?

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Assigned 06/09/17

San Diego Botanic Garden

Conservation Actions

Katie Heineman

02/16/2024

Gander’s pitcher sage (Lepechinia ganderi Epling) is a rare species in the mint family (Lamiaceae) that occurs on Otay Mountain in southern San Diego County. SDBG is partnering with the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust to help bring this beautiful, drought tolerant species into the local horticultural trade. Cuttings from several notable individual plants have been selected from Otay Mountain and are being grown in the SDBG nursery. These selections are undergoing different trials and evaluations to determine their tolerance and growth habits in landscape conditions, with the ultimate goal of helping this charismatic species become available to landscapers and home gardeners.

09/01/2020

Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, San Diego Zoo Global holds 2 accessions of Lepechinia ganderi in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 35199 seeds of this species in their collection - although some may have been used for curation testing or sent to back up.

09/01/2020

Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, California Botanic Garden holds 2 accessions of Lepechinia ganderi in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 9916 seeds of this species in their collection - although some may have been used for curation testing or sent to back up.

08/05/2020

Based on an August 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, San Diego Zoo Global has collected 2 seed accessions of Lepechinia ganderi from 2 plant occurrences listed in the California Natural Diversity Database. These collections together emcompass 202 maternal plants

08/05/2020

Based on an August 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, California Botanic Garden has collected 2 seed accessions of Lepechinia ganderi from 2 plant occurrences listed in the California Natural Diversity Database. These collections together emcompass an unknown number of maternal plants

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Lepechinia ganderi is known from fewer ten extant occurrences in San Diego County, California; its outer range extends into Baja California, Mexico. Urbanization is a serious threat to this species.