DOKUDAMI in my Tsukuba garden
By mid-June the shadowy fringes of my front yard are carpeted with low lying, heart-shaped leaves, atop which have appeared little, white, four- petalled flowers. At the center of each of these sticks out what looks like a tiny ear of corn. My BACKyard, which is on the north side of the house and gets very little direct sunlight, is literally overcome by this same plant, which gives off a strong and distinctive odor when stepped on or touched ( a smell which has best been described as being similar to that of OZONE). This scent is so strong that you still might catch a whiff of it on your hands after garden work – EVEN when you had been wearing gloves !
DOKUDAMI, also known as JU-YAKU
DOKUDAMI growing at Higashi-Oka`s Yasaka Shrine
DOKUDAMI carpet
Over the years I have asked my Japanese friends and acquaintances if and how they use DOKUDAMI ( this word derives from the characters DOKU, 毒, poison, and DAMI,to stop- thus, it is THE POISON STOPPING PLANT). I have stopped being surprised by hearing how many people have tried it. The most common way of using the plant for medicinal purposes these days is by drying the leaves (by hanging in a shady place or leaving them in the car! ) and brewing DOKUDAMI-CHA (dokudami-tea). Of course, this tea can also be bought at shops or ordered over the internet, but using the leaves from your own garden is much more economical, safer ( you know exactly what you`re drinking), and of course infinitely more fun. Besides containing plenty of essential vitamins and minerals, DOKUDAMI-CHA is said to have antimicrobial and disinfectant properties. Many Japanese also belive that it keeps the skin beautiful and slows down the effects of ageing.
DOKUDAMI with tiny snail in my yard
Another way that people still use DOKUDAMI is to pick the leaves, crush them, and rub them into the nostrils to relieve congestion. Leaves are also rubbed on wounds to prevent infection (you might want to remember this for when your hiking and forget your First-Aid Kit).
As I have mentioned before , DOKUDAMI has been used historically for just about every kind of physical ailment. However, I think that in this day and age, we should still look to its name- THE POISON STOPPER – as a guide to how it should best be used. The Japanese government officially classifies DOKUDAMI as a detoxifier. With all the chemicals and other junk to which we are exposed to everyday, drinking DOKUDAMI TEA made from dried leaves from your own garden might be a good way of keeping your body LESS TOXIC. This is certainly cheaper than ordering expensive DOKUDAMI products (just check the internet), and it also a way to put this common plant , which is probably taking over your garden, to good use.
Whether you try out its medicinal and culinary uses or not, DOKUDAMI shows us once again that if we take the time to look carefully at the little things around us, and then do a little research, we can almost always discover something amazing ( or at least interesting!)
Of course, much MORE amazing is that real natural sample /des ’simples’ as a synonym in french of ‘medicinal plants’/ can support our health … coming back into the nature!)
Thank you, Avi, to share of these treasures with us! Good luck!))