Damiana Leaf | Turnera Diffusa | Wild Crafted

Description

Premium wild crafted Damiana Leaf imported fresh directly from the harvesters in Mexico.

Damiana was first introduced in the United States in 1874 and has a long and interesting history of use in folk medicine. The indigenous population praised the plant for its antidepressant, diuretic, tonic, hypoglycemic, and antibacterial properties and smoked the plant’s leaves to relax. Ancient Mayas and Aztecs are said to have used Damiana as an aphrodisiac and general health tonic. More scientific study and research is needed to verify any claims regarding the effects of Damiana. Damiana is a well known flavoring and has been approved by the FDA for that purpose.

Botanical Name: Turnera aphodisiaca, Turnera diffusa
Plant Family: Turneraceae
Also Called: Old Woman’s Broom, Herba De La Pastora, Mexican Holly and Rosemary.

Identification

Damiana is a low lying shrub that grows 3 – 6 ft tall and has aromatic, serrate leaves that are 15-25 cm in length. A summer blooming plant with small yellow flowers that produce small fruits with a sweet smell and fig-like flavor.

Habitat

Damiana is found in Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and parts of South America and prefers a hot and humid climate.

Uses

Tea

Damiana’s fragrant flavorful leaf makes a great tea and is also used in tea blends.

Try starting out with 1gm of leaf per 16 oz of water. Boil the material in the water for at least 5 minutes then allow it to cool and strain out the herbs. If you would like a stronger or weaker tea you can increase/decrease the amount of leaf used and the amount of time it is boiled in small increments.

Smoking

Damiana has been used as a smoking herb for hundreds of years. Depending on how it is grown, harvested and dried, it can have a strong flavor. It is important to mention even with it’s long history as a smoking here there it has not show to be habit forming. Also used in a wide variety of smoking blends.

Smudge

Damiana’s fragrant leaf is a well known and popular smudge.

Herbal Supplement

Damiana is used as an herbal supplement and in natural health formulas.

This material is meticulously processed and cleaned by hand. Please have a look on our Hand Processing Herbs Page for more information.