Welcome to the Plant Library
Welcome to the Leaves for Life Plant Library, arranged alphabetically by plant. This library features the plants we grow in our Southwest Florida food/tea forest and use in our botanical infusions.
You’ll also find a few plants that are currently on our “Wish List.” Although they are growing in our food forest, they haven’t yet produced enough for us to include them in our tea blends. As they mature and become available, they’ll naturally become part of both our garden and our offerings.
There are countless wonderful plants with rich histories of traditional use around the world. Rather than trying to include them all, this library focuses on the plants we know best—those we grow, study, and work with here at Leaves for Life.
Before You Begin…
This Plant Library is intended as an educational resource. It combines traditional herbal knowledge (primarily Western herbalism, with some Traditional Chinese Medicine), modern scientific research, and our firsthand experience growing these plants in our Southwest Florida food/tea forest.
Whenever possible, I try to distinguish between traditional herbal use, modern scientific research, and our own observations growing these plants. While these perspectives often complement one another, they are not always the same, and I believe each has value when presented honestly and respectfully.
Herbal traditions often span hundreds—or even thousands—of years, while scientific understanding continues to evolve. For that reason, the research summaries and references included throughout this library represent a snapshot of the information available at the time each page was written—or, quite honestly, what I was able to find.
As new studies become available and I discover them, I will continue updating these pages with additional information and references. I encourage you to check back from time to time as this library grows and evolves. My hope is that the information shared here not only answers questions, but also inspires you to continue learning, exploring, and reading the research for yourself.
The information provided throughout this library is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or a substitute for the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional.
What You’ll Find on Each Plant Page
Each plant profile follows the same basic format so you can easily find the information you’re looking for.
🌿 Botanical Information
Learn the plant’s botanical and common names, family, native range, USDA growing zones, and a brief description.
🌱 Growing in Our Food/Tea Forest
This section shares our firsthand experience growing each plant, including observations on growing habits, harvesting, drying, blooming, fruiting, seasonal changes, challenges we’ve encountered, and sometimes a few fun stories or hard-earned lessons along the way.
📖 Materia Medica
This section explores the plant itself and includes:
- Parts Used
- History & Traditional Uses
- Constituents (naturally occurring compounds found within the plant that researchers study to better understand its characteristics and traditional uses)
- Actions (traditional herbal terms used to describe how a plant is understood to support or influence the body’s normal functions)
🔬 Modern Research
A plain-language summary of current scientific studies, along with links to the original research for those who wish to explore further.
⚠️ Safety
Important cautions, contraindications, and other safety considerations, when applicable.
🍵 Featured In
Discover which Leaves for Life botanical infusions currently include that particular plant.
📚 Glossary
Throughout the Plant Library, you’ll notice certain words and phrases highlighted in BOLD. These terms are explained in the Glossary to help make herbal terminology easier to understand. Hover over selected terms for a quick definition, or visit the full Glossary to explore them in more detail.
Thank you for visiting our Plant Library. I hope it inspires you to appreciate these remarkable plants, ask questions, explore the research, and perhaps discover a new favorite along the way.
Our Plants (in alphabetical order)
(I have many more to add…)
Butterfly Pea →
Cinnamon →
Ginger →
Lemongrass →
Moringa →