Gynostemma pentaphyllum - Jiaogulan Tea Seeds

Gynostemma pentaphyllum - Jiaogulan Tea Seeds

SWEET TEA VINE 'JIAOGULAN' - (GYNOSTEMMA PENTAPHYLLUM)

Also known as immortality herb, jiaogulan, stranded blue plant, and twisting blue plant.

IMMORTALITY VINE

Gynostemma pentaphyllum, also known as jiaogulan, is a plant of the cucumber family, which includes cucumbers or gourd. It occurs in the southern parts of China, North Vietnam, South Korea, or Japan, with the reputation of a plant that prolongs longevity and with an important adaptogen effect. About gynostemma is also said to be a kind of ginseng of the poor, but in terms of beneficial compounds (saponins or gypenoids) responsible for the adapogenic effect, gynostemma is up to 4 times richer than ginseng. Besides these compounds, gynostemma also contains an important number of amino acids, vitamins or minerals such as magnesium, potassium, selenium, iron, calcium, phosphorus or zinc. The gynostemma plant has an extremely high antioxidant potential, improving the level of superoxide dismutase.

Height:10-12 ft. (3-3.6 m)

Germination: Gynostemma pentaphyllum germination can be a bit irregular but typically germinates in 30+ days at soil temps above 70 F. We generally recommend starting in peat pots, though it can be directly sown in some areas.

Zones: USDA 7b-10 (perennial), annual elsewhere

Life Cycle:perennial often grown as an annual

Uses: Edible*(leaves), herb/spice, medicinal

Breed Status: Open Pollinated

Seeds Per Oz.: 5520

Jiaogulan (Gymnostemma pentaphyllum) is a climbing tea herb native to mountainous or forested areas of Asia. Also known as sweet tea vine, it exhibits lobed leaves and inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers close to the stem. Jiaogulan was originally mixed with black tea leaves to sweeten them, but has been marketed as an adaptogenic or tonic herb as well. It is a short-lived perennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 to 10.

Germination

Jiaogulan seeds should be soaked for 24 hours in a covered container of warm water before they are sown in seedling pots filled with damp seed-starting mix. It's best to plant three seeds to a pot, in a triangular pattern about an inch apart from each other, as their germination can be inconsistent. Sprinkle the seeds only lightly with the mix so that they are barely covered. If the mix is kept moist and at room temperature, in the low 70s, the seeds should germinate in two to six weeks. They can then be placed under a grow light for at least 12 hours a day, or on an east- or west-facing windowsill where they will receive only partial sun.

Transplanting

The jiaogulan seedlings may be set in the ground outdoors in early summer, preferably beside a partially shaded trellis or arbor where the soil is well-drained and humus-rich. You should note how deep their roots go before you plant the vines, 1 foot from the trellis or arbor and 1 foot apart, inclining them slightly toward the support so they will grow in the right direction. It's a good idea to mulch them with compost to approximate the decaying leaves of their natural environment and to help keep their soil damp at all times.

Growing and Reproduction

Once it grasps a support, jiaogulan should grow to 25 feet or so, and require little care except for an occasional watering. Recalling how deep the herb's roots went, you can tell -- with the help of a soil probe -- when you have applied enough water to reach that depth. (The probe glides easily through wet soil, but balks when it hits dehydrated dirt.) Wait until the moistened soil dries out part way to the surface, but never all the way up, before you apply the same amount of water again. Herbs like jiaogulan are seldom bothered by insects or disease, and don't require any more fertilization than the compost mulch should provide. The vine's inconspicuous flowers generally appear in mid- to late-summer and will develop into round green seed pods, if both male and female plants are present. Those pods should turn black when the seeds are ripe.

Harvesting

Refrain from harvesting jiaogulan until the plant is at least 1-1/2 feet tall. Herbs generally have the strongest flavor if collected when in bud, just before the flowers open. Cut the vines into 3- to 5-inch pieces to allow the stems to dry at the same rate as the leaves. Those pieces can then be placed inside a food dehydrator until they are crisp, or they can be spread on screens propped up by sawhorses or other supports in an area protected from sunlight and rain. Store the herb, once it is completely dry, in glass jars with screw-on lids in a cool, dim place such as on a pantry shelf.