Yerba mansa -- which means 'calming herb' in Spanish -- has been used for centuries by healers in the Southwestern US by Native Americans and Hispanics.

It is little known outside the region, but botanists hope that it could become a widely popular remedy.

"As far as I know, our centre is the only place in the US conducting production research [on yerba mansa]," said Professor Charles Martin, a researcher at New Mexico State University.

There are concerns over threats to the natural habitat of the plant -- cultivation could be the key to the continued survival of the species.

"There are a lot of plants that have almost been picked to extinction," said Michael Moore, director of the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine in Bisbee, Arizona.

"A hundred years ago, American ginseng could be found in 22 states and now it's only found in a few."

Professor Martin alighted upon yerba mansa after looking for potential that could survive adverse conditions.

"We targeted native herbs in an effort to find alternative crops for small farmers that are drought tolerant and have a built-in pest resistance, and yerba mansa is an ideal plant that meets that criteria," he said.

"It will grow in a wide variety of conditions and soils, including alkaline-encrusted soil and in all degrees of sunlight."

"Once established, it doesn't need any more water than a typical crop, than say alfalfa."

Some nurseries in California already grow yerba mansa for ecological restoration projects -- and there is already enthusiasm for the idea of growing it there on a larger scale.

"We could easily go into cropping," said Jeff Nighman, vice president of Santa Barbara Natives, a nursery based in Gaviota.

"It could be a branch of what we're doing already."

One member of the Yaquis tribe from Tucson, Arizona, is also experimenting with growing yerba mansa without soil -- he is using a variant of hydroponic technology called aeroponics.

Bill Quiroga, president of Native American Botanics, hopes that Native American farmers will eventually grow the herb to supply his wholesale company.

"We have to find ways to grow it so that we keep the herb for later generations," he said.