Read a commented profile about the infinity herb here. Information about growth, winter hardiness, ingredients and effect. The best tips for proper Jiaogulan care in beds and containers.
What is the Immortality Herb and what benefits does it have?
The immortality herb (Gynostemma pentaphyllum) is a hardy climbing plant that is known for its he alth-promoting ingredients. It grows in sunny to partially shaded areas and prefers fresh, nutrient-rich soil. The plant has feathery, edible leaves and supports, among other things, the immune system, blood circulation and the aging process.
Profile
- Scientific name: Gynostemma pentaphyllum
- Family: Cucurbitaceae (Cucurbitaceae)
- Synonyms: Jiaogulan, herb of immortality, women's ginseng
- Origin: China, Japan, India
- Growth type: climbing plant
- Growth height: 3 m to 5 m
- Leaves: pinnate
- Leaf properties: edible
- Flowers: simple, inconspicuous
- Roots: forms root nodules
- Winter hardiness: hardy
- Use: medicinal herb, wall greening, pot and hanging plant
Origin
In the 1970s, the news hit like a bomb. A climbing plant from East Asia gives people immortality. Although the term immortality herb is a bit over the top, the pumpkin herb plant contains a concentrated load of he althy ingredients: more than 100 saponins (gypenosides or gynosaponins), valuable nutrients, many vitamins, trace elements and amino acids. Regular consumption of immortality herb tea has the following effect on he alth and well-being:
| Effects of Immortality Herb |
|---|
| calming for stress |
| lowers blood sugar levels |
| regulates blood lipid levels |
| promotes blood circulation |
| strengthens the immune system |
| has an anti-cancer effect |
| protects liver function |
| helps against falling asleep |
| slows down the aging process |
European studies on the complex mechanism of action are still in their infancy. In contrast, in the Chinese provinces of Guizhou, Shiquan and Guangxi, a good cup of Jiaogulan tea has been part of everyday life since the Ming Dynasty. The convincing result is a striking concentration of people over 100 years old, which far exceeds the national average.
Growth
The immortality herb is native to China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand and Malesia with warm, humid summers and cold winters. This origin results in lush growth, characteristic of tropical cucurbits such as zucchini, garden pumpkin or bitter melon. Important key data on growth in brief:
- Growth type: perennial, herbaceous climbing plant
- Growth height: 4 m to 8 m in Asia, 2 m to 3 m in Central Europe with climbing aid
- Growth width: 2 m to 5 m in Asia, 1 m to 2 m in Central Europe with climbing aid
- Growth rate: 50 cm to 120 cm annual growth
- Roots: strong, frost-resistant tubers as survival organs
With wiry, forked tendrils and numerous leaves, the Jiaogulan plant forms an impenetrable thicket. If no trellis is available, the herb of immortality spreads as a ground cover.
Video: Herb of immortality - decorative medicinal herb for beds and containers
leaves
The main protagonist and treasure trove of Gynostemma pentaphyllum are the leaves. These characteristics characterize the foliage of a Jiaogulan climbing plant:
- Leaf shape: imparipinnate with 5 to 9 leaflets, ovate to lanceolate
- pinnate leaflets: pointed, 4 cm to 14 cm long, 2 cm to 5 cm wide, serrated leaf edge
- Leaf color: green to deep green
- Arrangement: alternate
The highest concentration of he althy ingredients is found in the edible leaves. The decorative leaves pamper the palate with an aromatic, sweet taste of licorice. Following the example of the monks in China's Song Shan Mountains, young and old can snack on the leaves in the family garden as a he althy sweet between meals.
Winter hardiness
The herb of immortality is hardy down to -20° Celsius. If the magical Jiaogulan plant thrives in a pot, its frost tolerance is reduced to -5° Celsius. After the first frost, the Asian climbing plant retreats into its tuberous roots. The above-ground parts of the plant die off, as we know from native perennials. However, if women's ginseng is granted a warm winter, the plant thrives as an evergreen. In the following instructions for Jiaogulan care you will read the best tips for wintering indoors and outdoors.
Planting Immortality Herb
The immortality herb is a big hit in nurseries and garden centers. This has the advantage that you can buy and plant early young plants all year round. You can read informative tips on purchasing, location and planting here:
Buy
If you buy the herb of immortality, it should be certified organic quality. Jiaogulan plants with an organic seal usually cost a little more than plants from integrated or conventional cultivation. In return, you can safely harvest the leaves as a he althy snack or to make a soothing tea.
Location and Earth
Women's ginseng is an undemanding plant with modest demands on the location:
- Sunny to semi-shady location.
- Ideally in a humid location near a pond, stream or swimming pool.
- Normal garden soil, fresh, moist, permeable and nutrient-rich.
- Slightly acidic to alkaline soil, pH 5.5 to 8.0, ideally 6.5 to 7.
- Pot substrate: Mix of peat-free, organic vegetable soil, coconut fiber as a peat substitute and lava granules.
When in doubt, the strong-growing plant prefers a shady location to a place in full sunlight.
Plants
The best time to plant outdoors is in spring. This allows the root tubers to build up solidly before winter. You can plant the immortality herb in a pot at any time of the year. A stable climbing aid that does not collapse under the considerable weight of the long shoots is essential. It's worth taking a look at these tips for correct planting in beds and pots:
- Place the root ball in the growing pot in water until no more air bubbles appear.
- Mix the excavation of the planting pit with a few handfuls of compost and 100 grams of horn shavings as starting fertilizer.
- Plant the potted, water-soaked Jiaogulan in the middle of the hole while maintaining the previous planting depth.
- Attach the tendrils to the climbing aid so that there is no longer any contact with the ground.
- Planting distance is 100 cm, one to two specimens per m².
- Form the watering edge from bed soil and water thoroughly.
As a balcony greenery, plant the herb of immortality in a 10 liter pot over a drainage made of pottery shards or expanded clay.
Excursus
Medicinal herb with privacy function
Jiaogulan is an asset to every hobby garden. As a medicinal herb, the plant promotes a he althy, long life. With its lush foliage, the immortality herb is useful as an opaque privacy screen that can be eaten. In the balcony box, the climbing plant becomes an easy-care hanging plant. The growth rocket turns the facade, downpipe or pergola into greenery every summer in no time. As a houseplant, the herb of immortality conjures up a cozy, evergreen jungle atmosphere in your living room, winter garden and office.
Court Immortality Herb
The herb of immortality is easy to care for. Important cornerstones in the care program are regular watering, organic fertilization and species-appropriate overwintering indoors or outdoors. Uncomplicated pruning care and simple propagation round off the care that is suitable for beginners. Read important tips for an immortality herb at its best:
Pouring
The immortality herb evaporates a lot of moisture through its numerous leaves. The brighter and sunnier the location, the more often the climbing plant needs to be watered. Check in advance with a finger test whether the soil is dry. Let the water run directly onto the root disk. Normal tap water, collected rainwater and skimmed pond water are suitable as irrigation water.
Fertilize
A nutritious portion of compost with horn shavings stimulates growth in spring. Fertilize potted plants with an organic liquid fertilizer from April to September.
Wintering
There are various options for overwintering immortality weed. The exact procedure depends on where you overwinter the climbing plant, whether Jiaogulan is granted a hibernation period or whether the focus is on cultivation as an evergreen houseplant. The following tips for winter care provide a compact overview:
- In the bed: do not cut back before winter, mulch the root disc thickly with leaves and needle twigs.
- Overwinter the potted plant outside: Place the pot on wood, cover it with fleece, put the breathable cover over the trellis and tendrils.
- Overwinter potted plant in a cool place: place in a dark, frost-free winter quarters at 3° to 5° Celsius, water sipwise, do not fertilize.
- Overwinter pot plant warm indoors: place in a bright, warm winter quarters at 15° to 20° Celsius, water sparingly, fertilize liquidly every 6 weeks.
In the open field and in cool winter quarters, the herb of immortality is a deciduous, perennial climbing plant. As part of a bright, warm winter, the perennial thrives as an evergreen.
Cutting
A strong pruning in late winter clears the way for fresh shoots. Cut the dead tendrils at ground level and detach the clippings from the climbing aid. This is best done with a sharp sickle or a disinfected knife. Thoroughly thin out evergreen immortality herb as a houseplant in spring. After pruning, repot a Jiaogulan potted plant into fresh substrate. For bedding plants, pruning is the best opportunity for annual starter fertilization.
Propagate
The herb of immortality can be propagated easily and with a guarantee of success using reducers. Pull a vine to the ground in a 3-5 cm deep furrow. Until the offshoot takes root, it remains connected to the mother plant. Cut off a rooted sinker and pot it in loose, permeable vegetable soil.
Popular varieties
The herb of immortality is unique and cannot be improved through breeding influence. For this reason, there are currently no varieties of the Jiaogulan plant available in stores.
FAQ
Can you buy and sow Jiaogulan seeds?
Sowing Jiaogulan seeds is a little more complicated than vegetative propagation using planting plants. Furthermore, there is a fluctuating concentration of the valuable ingredients in the offspring. The seeds can be purchased from specialist exotic seed shops. Soak the seeds in lukewarm water for 24 hours. Sow the light germinators half a centimeter deep. At a constant 20° Celsius in a bright window seat, germination takes about a month.
Does immortality herb stop growing as a houseplant in winter?
No, immortality herb thrives as an evergreen climbing plant in closed, heated rooms. This has the advantage that you can harvest and consume the rich leaves all year round. In the open field, outside on the balcony or in the cool, dark winter quarters, a Jiaogulan plant, on the other hand, pulls in its above-ground tendrils and leaves. After the winter rest, the perennial sprouts again from its root tubers.
How sunny should the location be for the herb of immortality?
The Asian climbing plant feels best in a sunny to partially shaded location. An infinity herb also thrives in a shady place as long as lighting of at least 200 to 500 lux is provided. You should avoid a location under the blazing summer sun.
