Common Name: Damiana
Latin name: Turnera diffusa
Family: Turneraceae or Passifloraceae (I’ve seen both)
Parts used: leaves
Tissue or system affinity: Nervous system, Circulatory system
Taste: Pungent
Energetics: warming, slightly drying
Actions: anti-depressant, aphrodisiac, anxiolytic, nervine and metabolic stimulant
Uses: A native plant of southern Texas, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, this is a great go-to herb for depression and anxiety that does not respond to the use of St. John’s Wort (or for that small % of the population that can’t use St. John’s Wort); a warming and stimulating aphrodisiac, it has been used traditionally in Central America for centuries to increase libido and lower stress levels; works well for those who feel exhausted and depleted; drink as an aromatic tea or take as a tincture or elixir
Side note: There is a liqueur from Mexico called Guaycura Liqueur de Damiana that showcases this medicinal herb. The glass bottle is shaped in the likeness of a pregnant woman (although this herb is contraindicated for pregnancy) and is said to be modeled after a Goddess of Fertility.
Lindsay Kolasa 