I was at a friend’s home in our Rim Country for a healing session with him -- on the suggestion of my friend who lives in Mexico. 

I learned that he was referring to our lowly, hardy medicinal plant commonly known as chaparral, creosote or greasewood but botanically called Larrea Tridentate --an herb which has a long history of curing people of many diseases, aches, pains and afflictions. In his country, they refer to this healing plant as La Gobernadora, the governess.

Chaparral is a hardy bush which is perennial and very frequently found in the Southwest, Mexico and the Sonoran deserts. The oil in the plant activates in rain and gives off a most distinctive aroma. Chaparral holds the prestigious label of being one of the first North American desert plants. Although Native Americans used it for centuries, when the Spanish came, they named it “La Gobernadora,” the governess -- because it seemed to rule over all the rest of the healing plants. 

It has truly earned its title. It’s an ultimate survivor – able to live in the harsh desert even up to a year without any water. The summer heat does not affect it and it is the most drought tolerant of all the desert plants. The chaparral plant is one of the most adaptable desert plants in the world and was one of the first to grow back after the Yucca Flats nuclear bomb tests in 1962. It can live for thousands of years. And I was told it was the first plant to come back after Mount St. Helena erupted.

Several native plants begin their life under the shade of this creosote bush. Many mammals build their nests beneath the creosote bushes and eat their flowers and seeds. 

For centuries, Native Americans used this bush for medicines -- as remedies for colds, coughs, fevers, influenza, arthritis, snake bites, diabetes and for emetics. They also used the creosote bush for affixing their arrows and mending pottery. Today’s research is focused on how it can be used to stymie the growth of tumors. 

The plant has traditionally been used also for stomach pains, chicken pox, rheumatic pain, bronchitis, common colds, gas, menstrual disorder, kidney stones, diarrhea, urinary tract infections and upper respiratory tract infections. 

Nationally known wilderness teacher Peter Bigfoot -- who teaches classes on how to use the desert plants for healing -- says: “It is one of the most valuable all-around herbs we have. The bark as tea is great for skin diseases. Leaves are good for many things – can be a tonic for strength, act as a diuretic, to treat diseases from flu to cancerous tumors, to detox blood, to improve eyesight, for treating kidney infections, to increase bowel action or to treat leukemia, prostrate trouble, sinus, throats, bronchial conditions or even to normalize weight.”

As always, you are urged to seek counsel from your medical practitioner before trying this herb on your own. Each person’s healing regime is an individual matter. People with liver or kidney issues are advised by the US Food & Drug Administration not to use it.

This writer personally uses this incredible plant when coming down with a cold -- in the run-down mode of fever, achy feelings, physical exhaustion, muscle fatigue, etc. My fail proof recipe is to drink a steaming hot cup of the brew, then go sleep and next morning I am well again. I tend to dot off with tissue the few oil droplets that float on the tea surface in the cup before drinking. And a tiny sprig of the leaves is all I use per cupful. If you can’t tolerate the bitter taste of this helpful plant, add some honey.

I have also used chaparral (creosote, greasewood) as a fomentation for injuries. It is truly a go-to cure for many ailments for me. I travel with a supply of chaparral. 

Chaparral contains long lasting anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects -- therefore, it is good for rheumatoid arthritis. Also used for healing skin problems and for antiseptic dressings for bruises, cuts, sores. And other friends have used it for bowel and lung problems. 

The plant contains nordihydroguniaretic acid NDGA and lignans as healing properties. Research shows NDGA is a strong antioxidant and thought to reduce cell damage by free radicals. Early research has shown that NDGA inhibited growth of some cancer cells in animals. 

The chaparral bushes in springtime have brilliant, tiny, yellow five-petal flowers. In the dry season, they fold their leaves in half to cut their exposure to the sun. In a severe drought, they drop their leaves and are dormant until precipitation begins again. Their branches are long and slender but sturdy. The plant has small leathery leaves that are green throughout the year. They conserve water loss by a waxy sticky resin on the leaves which protects leaves from the ultraviolet sun.  

Its extremely bitter taste usually keeps animals from eating it. The plant grows from about three feet to over nine feet tall and sometimes grows galls. It has a distinctive smell that no other plant has which is especially noticeable after the rains. And, although it carries the name of chaparral, it doesn’t grow where the chaparral areas are located. 

I like to wildcraft- collect it in the springtime with its bright spring green leaves and equally small bright yellow flowers. You can break off some branches and tie them together with a natural cotton string, hang them on a nail upside down and let them dry naturally and then just break off a tiny bit for your cup of tea or, when they dry thoroughly, strip the leaves off the branches and store in a dark place in a lidded jar. To strip leaves off lots of branches, I take a clean pillowcase and put the branches with attached leaves inside and then crunch the pillowcase up a bit. This usually takes all the leaves off the branches quickly for me.


This is one of the desert plants that I now call my friend. I hope that you find this information of value. And, if you use this plant, it will benefit your own health. After all, she is “The Governess!”