Herbal Teas

[Stillman]

So I am starting to grow some herbs for teas, found a very reputable nurseryman who has some really great quality hard to get plants that you would normally have to start off from seed.

Anyone growing out particular herbs for teas?

I have the usual suspects

German chamomile

Valerian

Speed well (look it up its a beauty)

Various bergamot ( the wild and the commercial)

and a few others.

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

Stevia, chocolate mint and hibiscus all go great in pots here near Sydney and make a beautiful tea, medicinally powerful too from what I've researched and very tasty! Can't send you some Stevia seeds and a cutting of choc mint

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

Stevia, chocolate mint and hibiscus all go great in pots here near Sydney and make a beautiful tea, medicinally powerful too from what I've researched and very tasty! Can't send you some Stevia seeds and a cutting of choc mint

[Stillman]

Mint and peppermint are the bomb. I forgot about them. Sound good Dood.

Today I will make a list of my herbs and post it here, maybe start a trade thread if theres enough interest, Like I said I can even chase some plants down of this guy if anyones interested, they are priced well enough.

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

Fuck meant to say i CAN send you seeds and cuttings, sorry about that! Yeah do it mate, I was just thinking I have a few slightly odd herbs that may be of interest..

Stevia

Chocolate mint

Vietnamese mint

All are great for teas and cooking, I'm off to the markets now, I might pick up a few more!

[DarkSpark]

I have

Yerba Maté

Peppermint (piper x mentha)

choc mint

stevia

Lemon Myrtle, makes a beautiful tea

Camellia sinensis, well not anymore

surely vietnamese mint wouldn't be good in a tea ? that stuff tastes quite revolting in my opinion. Saw a heap of it growing at nimbin while i was there for mardigrass down the south end of the main street. I have 2 large plants of this but only use it in VERY small amounts as the taste is very strong. May appeal to some but not me. i would prefer to have its space in the veg patch filled with peppermint

I like to experiment with my teas. See i have some bases already i like to experiment with other flavors. i.e. sage flowers or leaves, a hint of basil can actually add a nice taste to a bitter tea (i know i am weird), even a sprinkle of pepper some teas is quite appropriate.

some others that i have which could be added.

scullcap

mugwort

wormwood

v. officinalis

Edited August 5, 2012 by DarkSpark

[Stillman]

is V. officinalis common name Speed well?

edit only reason I ask isVeronica officinalis but I think you are talking Valerian?

Edited August 5, 2012 by Stillman

[Sallubrious]

A few cloves always makes a good brew.

Oregano is not too bad either.

[Stillman]

Ok my list of herbs most can be used for tea should be able to trade some seed in the warmer months.

German camomile

Epazote

Mexican tarragon

Borage

Valerian

Peppermint

Spearmint

Mint

Lemon Balm

wild lavender? I'll have to find out what this one is.

Ashwaganha

Bergamot

Wild or lemon bergamot

Hysop

So yeah once I get some new growth and some seed would be keen to trade. Also anyone in South E QLD there is an excellent plant guy at the Caboulture Markets. Well worth a look.

[Auxin]

I like to use dried Lemon Balm as a base, on top of that adding either thyme, sage, oregano, or green tea. You can find one of those combos near me at all times, always unsweetened.

Found some old goya (bitter melon) fruit chips in my kitchen this year and remembered I like it, in moderation, as a tea in the summer heat so I'm trying to grow a few fruits before a frost warning makes me harvest the leaves to try.. which I've never done before.

[Foo]

Tulsi!!! Must have herb for tea's.

Also if your into valerian i sugest you try some cali poppy.

[Stillman]

I have a cali poppy growing which part do you make tea from?

[planthelper]

my no 1 is lemongrass, Cymbopogon citratus, no garden should be without one!

perennial, makes wonderfull tea and is a kitchen herb, slightly psychoactive (at least thats what i think) and good for you.

[waterboy 2.0]

Lemon balm and Lemon grass- and I am with Planthelper if I drink a lot of it I get the odd peripheral white "sparkle" (only way to describe it)

[Stillman]

I have a 2 metre lemon grass out the back PH but never use it in tea I'll give it a go.

[Stillman]

I highly recommend Mexican tarragon tea I put alittle lemon grass in too PH tasted damn fine and now I feel quite relaxed.

[whitewind]

Great thread, love growing herbal teas! I had some Mentha diemenica which I lost when I went on holiday, very fond of Lemon Myrtle when I can get it, Mexican Tarragon is good too. I have a few weird tea herbs from America I need to try growing, I bought seed last year and I can't even remember what they are called! and different types of Tulsi of course. My misses can't get beyond freshly grated ginger tea with honey - she drinks litres of it. I find ginger has adverse reactions on my guts, which is a shame as it's great for so many things. Apparently if you drink it when pregnant you get oversized children - and our little girl is twice as big as most other kids her age, even older - and I reckon it was the ginger tea! I have this funky skullcap with thick roots that I snaffled form somewhere - it's not one of the usual suspects and I can't wait to trial it out.

I love trying all these things, but I can't get over my addiction to thick, strong coffea.

[apothecary]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquorice

甘草

[santiago]

you cant go wrong witha good ol catha edulis tea, its better off to use the more mature leathery leaves and leave the young soft normally red shoots for goat feed. wash the older leaves like mentioned above in water to rid the basic bits of dirts and or bugs, slice them up with scissors, doesnt have to too fine as it really is just to help the leaves leech more. use a fair bit of water no real rule of thumb but you dont want it too dense. pop the stove on a low simmer, the lower the better as i dont think boiling is the right way, half an hour to an hour max, if your fussy mayby strain. mayby some lemon juice and sugar to taste even a tea bag or two if you are partial to tea. milk is not really an option, a bit wrong somehow.

it actually tastes rather yummy but is a kind of aquired taste, like most things. i think cathine transfers very well to this tea, from those that have done it the older leaves always work better than younger leaves, perhaps cathinone which is most prominent in younger leaves has heat degradability, where-as cathine perhaps not. you can see thousands of years history at work here, it is as close as you can get to proper tea per se. a few cups will pick you up but certainly only comparable to normal coffee or tea, mayby a touch stronger. its not recommended to have the water too black, ie highly concentrated but urban myths highlight some very energetic an conversational experiences if you enjoy it in more quantity. it really depends, my personal theory is that catha edulis is very fickle ie the strength can vary daily, one day somebody will figure it out, at the moment my theory is that very humid days towards march april, the temp about 26-32c and about 11am picked, thats generally for goat feed, but for tea i find the fickleness even more pronounced. as with anything check your countries legal status and always enjoy in moderation.

[Alice]

I fourth the suggestion of Melissa aka lemon balm. Fast and easy grower, lovely tea.

[J Smith]

I also suggest tulsi tea, grew it for the first time last summer and I regret that I waited until the end of the season before I started using it.

[Heretic]

Rosella - I think it is a type of hibiscus . Yum !!

[Stillman]

Picked up a few interesting ones today

​Archillea millefollium

Tanacetum vulgare

Artemisia pontica

[Gollum]

A friend of mime introduced me to a herbal tea called " Sleepytime" by Celestial seasonings. Its available in most healthfood depts. Ive never been a huge fan of flavoured or herbal tea but ive been drinking this now for about a week and love it!

Ingredients are- Chamomile, spearmint, west indian lemongrass, tillia flowers, blackberry leaves, orange blossoms, hawthorn and rosebuds.

I find it very relaxing with mellow non-overpowering flavour.

I believe you can buy "Extra" strength as well.

[Stillman]

I have been drinking that lately. Its a great product. All my German Chamomile are in bud so will be able to crank out some fresh german Chamomile flower based teas soon.

I am also in the process of sourcing some green anise seed and some florence fennel the seeds fresh make for a intoxicating tea and steeped in liquor become the basis of a few European classics.