My garden is located in the East Bay hills of Hayward, CA. I have some volunteer plants growing on my hillside that I am unable to identify. I have searched online and the closest plant seems to be Rosemary Gorizia, however, I am wondering if this plant is a volunteer-type plant because I did not plant it. And I noticed that there are some of these same plants growing around the neighborhood in untended spots. I haven't seen it bloom yet. It is kind of sticky when you crush the leaves and it has a very strong scent of menthol and pine when you lightly rub it. It appears to be more of a shrub, though I do see some that are single stems. I have not seen it bloom. Its leaves are narrow and very green and have a light down of hair. I thought at first it perhaps was sticky monkey flower but it doesn't look like that according to my online research. The larger of the plants are about 3' tall by 2' wide.

I had sown the area in spring with a native California seed mixture including White Yarrow, Farewell-To-Spring, Chinese Houses, California Poppy, Globe Gilia, BirdâÂÂs Eye, Tidy Tips, Golden Lupine, Arroyo Lupine, Mission Red Monkey flower, Five Spot, Baby Blue Eyes, California Blue Bells, Blue-Eyed Grass. It doesn't appear to be any of these. And then when I saw it growing in other parts of the neighborhood...well...I didn't seed those areas.

I would say that its strong scent of menthol is the best clue...but it doesn't look like a Vick's plant.

{{!gwi}}