Immortality herb, this inconspicuous herb with the complicated name Jiaogulan, is considered the most important medicinal plant on earth in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It grows like a weed in China and has a history dating back thousands of years. In Germany the herb is not officially listed as a tea plant, but it is still considered very healthy because it can have a balancing effect on the body.
Immortality herb: what benefits does the plant have?
The plant is one of the most important adaptogens. These are substances that help the body to counteract negative influences and respond better to environmental influences. The body adapts and works effectively against problem areas by creating balance in the body. Jiaogulan, for example, can protect the heart, lower blood lipids and protect against diabetes, but it also improves the entire immune system and is even said to prevent healthy cells from turning into cancer cells. If you are tired, Jiaogulan can compensate for it, but if you have too much energy, that’s fine too.
The plant can be a good supplement, especially in stressful situations where the body needs greater external support. The slightly stimulating effect is particularly effective when you have a stressful day ahead of you. How does it work? Jiaogulan can improve nutrient supply, cardiac performance and blood flow to organs. It can also act against oxidative stress and promote detoxification of the body.
What is the best way to consume Jiaogulan?
It is officially not allowed to drink Jiaogulan as tea or purchase it as a herb for ingestion. You can get Jiaogulan, but it is usually declared as a “bath additive”. So you can make a wonderfully healthy bath water or do other things with it… what’s up to you 😉
How to order Jiaogulan plant?
Growing the plant is simple because it practically grows on its own. I have several plants in the apartment and on the balcony in summer. The plant thrives both indoors and outdoors. When growing outdoors, you should make sure that the plant is not exposed to the scorching sun all day. If told to do so, the leaves will curl up. If the leaves are stretched out and not rolled up, the position is perfect. If you want to order the plant, make sure it has been propagated vegetatively. The plant can be ordered online here (order plants here). Buying jiaogulan locally is not that easy. Only special nurseries sell the herb from time to time. Some plants can also be found in garden centers. It’s best to call your local garden center and ask if the plant is available.
The great overview of local wild herbs
With our book “With wild herbs and medicinal plants all year round“(available here), we offer you a reference work for the most important local wild herbs and medicinal plants growing right on your doorstep. It should help you identify, collect and recycle. We have portrayed the plants themselves with many large format images and, in addition to identifying them, we also give tips for use in the medicine cabinet and kitchen. You can buy our book in our herbalist’s shop www.die-moderne-Kräuterhexe.de
How can you grow and propagate the herb of immortality yourself?
You can also order seeds online. However, propagation via cuttings or individual leaves, which you put in water for a few weeks and wait for them to take root, is much easier and probably better. Apparently these cultivated plants have more potency than when they were planted. Hybridization is so simple that we now grow many plants indoors and outdoors, all from a single original plant that we purchased two years ago. Now we also brew our tea from the leaves and dry them in the dryer to create our own supply. It is clear to us that the grass of immortality belongs in our home and we enjoy observing how easily and quickly it grows every day. Other great recommendations include cistus tea or heather flower tea.
How to winter Jiaogulan?
Although Jiaogulan is surprisingly hardy, in our winters it is only partially frost-resistant and therefore requires well-designed winter quarters. The safest way to overwinter the plant is in a cool room but protected from frost; A temperature between 5 and 10 °C is ideal, for example in an unheated staircase, in a conservatory or in a bright basement window. Climbing shoots can be pruned heavily in late autumn so that the plant remains more compact and stores its energy in the roots. In winter, watering is done very sparingly: the bale must never dry out completely, but water stagnation immediately damages the plant. If the Jiaogulan is well planted in the garden, you should mulch the root area abundantly and protect the plant from severe frosts with a fleece. From March/April it can slowly get used to the light and warmth and then reliably sprout again.
Discover wild herbs and medicinal plants
If you want to delve further into the world of wild plants, then we can offer you our extensive starter set with calendar and seeds or our book “Nettle – queen of wild plants“(available here) I recommend it. We show you the world of nettle and its ecosystem in impressive and never-before-seen images. You will also find our best recipes with this fantastic plant. You can find everything in our herbalist’s shop www.die-moderne-Kräuterhexe.de
Daily information on plants, wild herbs and healthy eating
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