Hiking is no easy feat! Have you ever gotten to that point when you’ve been hiking along the island and realized you smelled horrible? Next time grab some coastal sage to help freshen up!
Native to Catalina coastal sage, Artemisia californica, is one pretty amazing plant found here on the island! Nicknamed “Cowboy Cologne” due to its attractive smell, coastal sage has been used in a number of ways over the years. The native Tongva people would use the smell of coastal sage in order to keep insects out of their homes. Some would even brew this plant into a delicious tea!
Cowboys and ranchers also used coastal sage for its appealing smell. After roaming the island for a few weeks surrounded by dirt, sweat, and horses men would utilize cowboy cologne to help cover up how bad they smelled!
Even us instructors utilize the smell produced by coastal sage! However coastal sage is not the only type of sage found on the island. Both white sage as well as black sage can be found throughout the island as well!
Author: Alex Feltes
