Avocado leaves (Persea americana)

Common names: Avocado, Avocado Pear, Alligator Pear

Taxonomic name: Persea americana

Family: Lauraceae

Uses: Wound healing, stomach complaints, fluid retention, high blood pressure

Area of origin: Central Mexico

Warnings: None

I was told that it can take 15 years for an Avocado (Persea americana)  grown from a seed to bear fruit. That seems far too long to wait, and in our very small patch, we need things that can produce something useful pretty quickly, even if it isn’t food.

I remembered that Avocado leaves are a key ingredient in the Filipino herbology that Jelina and I studied in Manila. So we had a chat about it and dug up some of our old study notes and found that Avocado leaves are quite useful, so no need to trade the seedling on, we could use it ourselves.

Avocado leaves are used in a cleansing tea that is both astringent and diuretic. Avocado leaf tea tones membranes and flushes out liquids, making it excellent for diets, fluid retention, colds and even high blood pressure (when caused by fluid retention). It’s astringency works all the way through the digestive tract, making it a good one for diarrhoea.