In wet years the plants send up tall wands of silvery white flowers and the plants may exceed 5' in height. These wands will seed and die back, leaving little more than long vertical sticks. The year-round parts are the many thick, sticky stems frow which the flowers grow. Stems range in height from ground level to 2 - 3 feet long. They are surrounded by 1 - 4 inch long, silvery white leaves. The leaves are paired, and the short, thick petioles tend to form a membrane around the stem. The leaves at the end of the evergreen stems form dense rosettes like an Aloe or Agave. The leaves along the stem may be distant from one another. Leaves last through the winter, but can get frost-burned or die back from lack of water. Leaves contain up to 4% volatile oils, predominantly camphor and eucalyptol; ursolic and aleonolic acids; alpha-amyrin; the abietane diterpenes 16-hydroxy-carnosic acid and carnosic acid.

Medicinally, the diterpenes are effective agains staph, candida and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The aromatics acts as counterirritants to increase the depth of effect on tissues. Fresh leaves can also be used as a smudge stick or in a sauna.