Herb Library
Browse our comprehensive collection of traditional medicinal plants and herbal remedies.
Ranawara (Senna auriculata): The Golden Flower Tea of Sri Lanka
(Senna auriculata)
Few sights are more distinctly Sri Lankan than a ranawara bush in flower — a mass of bright yellow a
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Heen Bovitiya (Osbeckia octandra): Sri Lanka's Traditional Liver Herb
(Osbeckia octandra)
Heen bovitiya (Osbeckia octandra) is a plant with an unusually specific reputation. Where many herbs
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Nelli (Phyllanthus emblica): Amla, Triphala's Third Fruit
(Phyllanthus emblica)
Nelli (Phyllanthus emblica) is the fruit that plays a trick on you: bite it and it is astringent and
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Aralu (Terminalia chebula): Haritaki and the Triphala Tradition
(Terminalia chebula)
Aralu (Terminalia chebula) carries an unusual reputation: Tibetan medical texts depict it in the han
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Weniwelgeta (Coscinium fenestratum): The Yellow Vine of Sri Lankan Medicine
(Coscinium fenestratum)
Cut a stem of weniwelgeta (Coscinium fenestratum) and the inside is an astonishing sulphur yellow. T
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Pawatta (Justicia adhatoda): Adhatoda, the Herb Behind a Modern Cough Medicine
(Justicia adhatoda)
Pawatta (Justicia adhatoda) has a distinction that few traditional herbs can claim. Its principal al
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Thippili (Piper longum): Long Pepper for Digestion and Breathing
(Piper longum)
Thippili (Piper longum) looks like a small grey catkin rather than a pepper, but one taste settles t
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Rasakinda (Tinospora cordifolia): Guduchi, Immunity and the Liver Question
(Tinospora cordifolia)
Rasakinda (Tinospora cordifolia) is called amrita in Sanskrit — the nectar of immortality — and few
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Bulu (Terminalia bellirica): Bahera and the Third Fruit of Triphala
(Terminalia bellirica)
Bulu (Terminalia bellirica) is the least famous member of a famous trio. Where aralu and nelli are w
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Murunga (Moringa oleifera): What the Drumstick Tree Really Delivers
(Moringa oleifera)
Murunga (Moringa oleifera) grows in the corner of countless Sri Lankan gardens, dropping long ribbed
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Rath Handun (Pterocarpus santalinus): Red Sandalwood, and Why It Is Smuggled
(Pterocarpus santalinus)
Rath Handun (Pterocarpus santalinus) is ground on a stone into a deep red paste and smoothed onto sk
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Koththamalli (Coriander): Sri Lanka's Classic Fever and Cold Remedy
(Coriandrum sativum)
If there is one remedy every Sri Lankan household reaches for at the first sign of a fever, it is ko
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