Saturday, September 6, 2014
The Leaf of Life
The Leaf of Life (Bryophyllum pinnatum, Crassulaceae) is native to Africa but is a popular medicinal plant in the Caribbean. I'm growing a bunch of them!
The tea made from the leaves is used for asthma and respiratory problems. Crushed leaves are bound to abscesses and swellings. What amazes me is how it propagates: from stem cuttings, no big deal, as above, but also, from leaves:
Toss a leaf to the ground, make sure it has a little sunshine and water, and plantlets grow from every notch in the leaf! In Hawai'i, this makes it an invasive species, but in other areas, it's a wonderful medicinal plant for your tropical garden.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hi Marla,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the introduction to this plant. I've seen it before but didn't know what it was or what it could do and had not interest in it. Now I would like to give it a try. We aren't tropical here but perhaps I could grow it my my new greenhouse?
Gail
Hi, Gail,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it would do well in a greenhouse, I would definitely give it a go. Hope all's well with you and yours!