I’ve really enjoyed seeing, and smelling, the vinegarweed that‘s now running riot at the State Park. This annual herb, a member of the mint family, is native to California, though it occurs in other parts of the western U.S. Its preferred habitats are coastal sage scrub, oak woodland, foothill woodland, and chaparral.

The volatile oils in its foliage have a strong vinegar odour, which grazing animals find unpalatable but I quite enjoy sniffing.

Vinegarweed is an important late summer pollen source for native bees and other insects. When a pollinating insect lands on the lower lobes of the corolla, and inserts its mouth parts into the nectar-containing section, the narrow corolla portion above is straightened and snaps rapidly downward brushing pollen onto the insect’s back. Nature never ceases to amaze.