Gotu Kola Plants

Identification

• Gotu kola is a creeping herb that forms new plants along stolons, or above-ground runners. It grows up to 8 inches tall and 3 feet wide. Its rounded, heart-shaped, scalloped leaves measure about 1 inch long and emerge from red leaf stalks. Roots develop from nodes in the runners. Its small, pinkish or greenish flowers grow in umbrella-shaped clusters and have male and female reproductive parts. Gotu kola plants produce tiny oval fruits that measure between 1/10 and 2/10 inch long.

Geography

• Gotu kola is native to the tropical wetlands of Asia, the South Pacific and South Africa. It has grown in the United States for hundreds of years. According to the website floridata.com, a southeastern United States plant that resembles gotu kola is probably a separate but closely related species. This herb is hardy in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Hardiness Zones 7 through 11.

Culture

• Although gotu kola will tolerate standing water, it grows best in damp, rich soil in full sun or partial shade. Soil can be acid, neutral or alkaline. Divide new plants after they have developed roots. To propagate from seed, plant seeds indoors and then place the plants outdoors the following spring or summer. Gotu kola grows naturally along roadsides, near wetlands and in other moist, disturbed areas, and can grow as a weed in moist lawns or gardens. According to herbs2000.com, this weed is difficult to eradicate, and will grow back after exposure to herbicides.

Significance

• Gotu kola is an important herb in the ayurvedic healing system of India. Ayurvedic practitioners recommend this herb for leprosy and other skin problems. Herbalists prepare teas and tinctures from the leaves and stems. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, gotu kola appears to improve wound healing, relieve anxiety and reduce leg swelling and varicose veins. Ask your doctor before trying any herbal remedy.