From Figueroa Mountain

Chia — long valued by early Native Americans, the health benefits of Chia seeds have become mainstream news.

This year, various magazine articles touted the benefits of Chia seeds: keep you full, excellent source of nutrients and inexpensive to boot. The only thing that came to my mind were Chia Pets. Little did I know that it was a plant that grows here on the mountain and in California as a whole.
Botanically, the Latin name for Chia is Salvia Columbariae. The word “Chia” is derived from an Aztec word “chian,” meaning oily. The Aztecs gave Chia as an annual tribute to their rulers because of its great food value.
It was utilized for medicinal purposes and was a staple food of the Chumash as well as other Pacific Coast groups. The seeds were also used by the Chumash on Santa Rosa Island, and some of the seeds discovered there date back 600 years. Chia was grown in large beds and harvested by the Chumash; in order to increase the harvest, they would periodically burn stands of Chia plants.
Today, we find Chia in coastal sage scrub and chaparral communities. You can find Chia along trails, in shale, burn areas, open areas and along side the roads on Figueroa Mountain. It does well in shale and poor soil.
There are people who harvest wild Chia by using fly swatters and a bucket to collect the seeds. The seeds can be planted in prepared flower beds or as a border butdo best in areas where they don’t get a lot of water.
Today you can buy Chia seeds in health food stores and you can sprinkle it on food or mix it in a drink. Chia is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and a good source of antioxidants and a variety of amino acids. The Chia seed acts as a time-release capsule and the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids work all day.
So next spring look for the Chia plant. They are easy to spot as the blue-to-purple hue can be very dense and there are one to four interrupted button-like whorls of tiny, tubular flowers. Once dry, the seeds will shake out and you can hold them in your hand to either eat or plant.This year, various magazine articles touted the benefits of Chia seeds: keep you full, excellent source of nutrients and inexpensive to boot. The only thing that came to my mind were Chia Pets. Little did I know that it was a plant that grows here on the mountain and in California as a whole.
Botanically, the Latin name for Chia is Salvia Columbariae. The word “Chia” is derived from an Aztec word “chian,” meaning oily. The Aztecs gave Chia as an annual tribute to their rulers because of its great food value.
It was utilized for medicinal purposes and was a staple food of the Chumash as well as other Pacific Coast groups. The seeds were also used by the Chumash on Santa Rosa Island, and some of the seeds discovered there date back 600 years. Chia was grown in large beds and harvested by the Chumash; in order to increase the harvest, they would periodically burn stands of Chia plants.
Today, we find Chia in coastal sage scrub and chaparral communities. You can find Chia along trails, in shale, burn areas, open areas and along side the roads on Figueroa Mountain. It does well in shale and poor soil.
There are people who harvest wild Chia by using fly swatters and a bucket to collect the seeds. The seeds can be planted in prepared flower beds or as a border butdo best in areas where they don’t get a lot of water.
Today you can buy Chia seeds in health food stores and you can sprinkle it on food or mix it in a drink. Chia is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and a good source of antioxidants and a variety of amino acids. The Chia seed acts as a time-release capsule and the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids work all day.
So next spring look for the Chia plant. They are easy to spot as the blue-to-purple hue can be very dense and there are one to four interrupted button-like whorls of tiny, tubular flowers. Once dry, the seeds will shake out and you can hold them in your hand to either eat or plant.