ASHITABA (Angelica keiskei) (HACHIJO-SOU) (Tomorrow's Leaf) - 10 Seeds

Extremely Rare to find in Australia - Ashitaba is one of the only plants that contain Vitamin B12 which can assist in energy boost, benefit your brain by preventing the loss of neurons, improve mood and symptoms of depression, help prevent the risk of age-related macular degeneration, support bone health, and prevent osteoporosis, red blood cell formation and anemia prevention.

Ashitaba plant can be cooked like Asian green vegetables, eaten raw, juiced, smoothie or made into a tea.

This plant is native to Hachijojima Island in Japan. The nutritional and health benefits of this high chlorophyll plant are extensive and Ashitaba is unique among the Angelicas due to its tasty edibility and the presence of substantial levels of B12, a vitamin normally not found in terrestrial plants. The plant contains flavonoids known as "chalcones" in its yellow sap – it’s nothing short of an Elixir of life.

Traditionally, the herb has been used as a rejuvenating food that contributes to long life. Japanese Sumo consumes Ashitaba leaves daily to prolong life – know more from Google.

Eat the fresh stems of the leaves and dry the leaves and make tea. It is called "tomorrow's leaf" because when harvesting one leaf from the plant, you can expect to see a new one "tomorrow."

Although Ashitaba is a frost-tolerant hardy plant, it is good to protect this rare plant during cold winter days

The plant does indeed rejuvenate itself very quickly, in much the same way as it rejuvenates the human digestion and skin. The herb is considered effective in treating eczema and psoriasis, also disorders of the gastrointestinal system, hepatitis, cancer, anemia, chronic fatigue, etc. In-vivo tests of chalcones have shown strong antibiotic activity against staphylococcus. It is believed that these health benefits have attributed to the traditional long life expectancy of the people of Hachijo Jima.

Sowing Instructions: Soak seeds overnight in cool, non-chlorinated water and then refrigerate the seeds (approximately 4-5°C/ 39-41°F) in the moist medium for 30 days.

The moist medium could be moist sand, moist potting soil, moist coir or moist peat. Note that our recommendation is MOIST, not SODDEN or VERY WET and that we are recommending REFRIGERATION not FREEZING.

After this pre-treatment, plant the (still moist) seeds. Sow on surface, barely cover with soil and press in firmly and keep evenly moist until germination. Use a greenhouse, shade house or grow lights. Germination occurs between 30-60 days after sowing at 20°C/ 68°F. Germination rate is quite erratic.

Seedlings are slow-growing and will require about 60 days to transplant. Once past the seedling stage, the plant is fast growing. The plants prefer rich, deep, ever moist, well-drained soil and full sun to part shade. Water the plant every other day.