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Jiaogulan Plant 20-40 cm (Gynostemma pentaphyllum)
Expected delivery date: 20 January to 27 January.
Applies to orders within Sweden. For other countries - see our delivery terms .
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1st plant Jiaogulan: 2 years old - current height 20-40 cm
Trivial Name: Jiaogulan, Gynnostemma, Sweet Tea Vine, Southern Ginseng, Miracle Plant, Amachazuru
Scientific name: Gynostemma pentaphyllum
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Plant history & use:
Jiaogulan, also known as the "herb of immortality," is one of the lesser-known traditional Chinese herbs. For centuries, it was used almost exclusively by the people of a mountainous region in southern China where the herb grows wild.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as we know it today originated in the center of the country, far from this region. For this reason, Jiaogulan is not included in the TCM standardized list of medicines and is therefore not used to the same extent as other Chinese medicinal herbs.
In the 1970s, China conducted a comprehensive census. It was discovered that residents of certain regions, mainly Guizhou province, were living longer than average - often more than 100 years. It turned out that the oldest residents had regularly drunk Jiaogulan tea throughout their lives. Partly from this incident comes the nickname "herb of immortality", but also from the numerous scientific studies that have been conducted on the mysterious herb.
Modern recognition of Jiaogulan outside of China stems from research into sugar substitutes. When examining the sweetening agent in Jiaogulan, saponins were found that were identical to those found in Korean Ginseng ( Panax ginseng ) . Further research discovered several additional saponins that were comparable or identical to those found in P. ginseng. The saponins in P. ginseng are called ginsenosides, while those found in Jiaogulan are called gypenosides. Compared to Korean Ginseng, Jiaogulan has the advantage of being much easier to grow and ready to harvest much earlier.
Today, Jiaogulan is well used in China and widely consumed by those interested in its reputed rejuvenating properties.
The leaves taste sweet and are used to make tea. Can also be cooked - in a wok for example.
The herb is used today in the treatment of diabetes and a number of other ailments. There is much to read about this herb for those interested.
Culture:
Jiaogulan has a wide range in nature: it stretches all the way from China to Korea and Japan, down to Southeast Asia and even to New Guinea. It is a plant that thrives in a variety of climates. It is a climber that can reach a height of 8 meters. You can either grow it against something it can wrap around, or let it creep along the ground in low-growing shrubs.
Jiaogulan should be able to grow in the majority of Sweden's zones 1-2, it can handle temperatures down to -10°C. It prefers to grow in a loamy, well-drained but moisture-retaining soil (typical humus character) - potting soil works well. Place in a sunny location.
Plant in a pot and overwinter in a greenhouse the first year to give the plant slightly milder conditions. You can also overwinter it in a storage room, basement, etc. if there is enough light. If the plant survives the first year with protected overwintering, you can try planting the plant out in the ground next spring to give it a try to overwinter without protection the coming winter. You can always set up windbreaks made of non-woven fabric and stakes around the plant and cover the base with straw to create milder conditions when growing directly in the open field.
Alternatively, move the plant indoors during the winter and place it outside during the summer months. If your plant has grown properly after the summer, top it and make tea from the leaves to adapt it to its new indoor growing space. With this method, it is possible to grow Jiaogulan throughout Sweden.
Well suited to growing as a ground cover in permissive climates.
Features:
Year: Perennial
Growing position: sun
Height: up to 8 meters
Growing zone: 1-2
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