The Healing Benefits of Gotu Kola:
An Edible and Medicinal Herb

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica, Apiaceae) has been a legendary herb in India and China for over two thousand years, where it’s considered to be one of the best herbs for promoting clarity, focus, and a peaceful, calm nature.

Gotu kola is both a medicinal herb and a food plant. I’m especially fond of the botanicals that are food-herbs for several reasons: one, they’re generally the safest remedies, and two, there are countless ways you can ingest them. You can take gotu kola as a tea, a tincture, or in capsules, and if you’re a culinary creative, try sneaking the herb into broths, vinegars, smoothies, and vegetable juices.

Also called brahmi, gotu kola is one of the easiest tonic herbs to grow, in the garden or in containers. Take note that there is another plant called brahmi: Bacopa monnieri is a low-growing wetland herb in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae), which also goes by the name water hyssop; it has some overlapping uses with gotu kola. This has resulted in copious confusion in the scientific and herbal literature and in commerce. Herbalists debate how their uses differ and overlap. Both are used to increase focus and mental clarity.

If you purchase gotu kola, be sure to double check the scientific name—you’re looking for Centella asiatica.

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An Herb to Promote Relaxation and Alertness

Natural healers and researchers debate whether gotu kola is a true adaptogen (a tonic herb that helps balance the body by supporting its ability to deal with physical and emotional stress). Tonic herbs are traditionally taken on a daily basis over a long period of time, as opposed to herbs that are only used on an as-needed basis. In any case, gotu kola has a long tradition of use as a tonic herb for promoting longevity, vitality, and equanimity. I find it to be one of the most useful herbs to help people feel energized, alert, and relaxed. Gotu kola is one of the safest remedies for easing stress and anxiety. See the accompanying tea recipe for inspiration on combining gotu kola with similar tonic herbs.

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A Traditional Remedy for Wounds and Injuries

Gotu kola has long been used to heal wounds, both internally and topically. Once famous for its use in treating leprosy in India, gotu kola is used today by herbalists to treat burns, minimize scarring, heal wounds, and promote tissue repair after injury or surgery. It appears to promote wound healing through its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial qualities, in addition to stimulating keratinization (an integral process of nail and hair growth) and epidermal repair (the epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin).²

One in vitro study which used an isolated constituent, asiaticoside, demonstrated the proliferation of fibroblasts, which are specialized cells responsible for producing and maintaining the structure of connective tissue. Fibroblasts are integral to wound healing.³

In my herbal practice, I use gotu kola to promote tissue repair after surgery or injury, such as sprains, bone breaks, bruising, burns, and wounds. In fact, it’s the primary herb I recommend for this purpose! Gotu kola has another benefit in this healing arena: its adaptogen-like qualities help with the emotional and physiological stress of physical trauma. Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is an herb that I frequently pair with gotu kola. Calendula flowers also promote tissue repair and support the lymphatic system in fighting infection.

In addition to its internal use in healing injuries, gotu kola is used topically, in the form of poultices, compresses, soaks, and infused oils (don’t use infused oils on fresh burns). A compress is the simplest preparation: prepare a concentrated tea, strain it, and soak a clean washcloth in the tea when it’s still warm. Apply the cloth to the affected area several times per day. The proportions of tea to water aren’t essential for this herb—simply make the tea about three times as strong as you would make a tea to drink.

Along with gotu kola’s wound-healing properties, it’s also applied topically to mollify a variety of skin conditions, including insect bites, seborrheic dermatitis, cold sores, eczema, psoriasis, and dry, irritated skin. I like to infuse the dry herb into sesame or coconut oil, which can be rubbed into the scalp to calm the mind, deepen sleep, and promote hair growth.⁴

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How to Grow Your Own Gotu Kola

I find that gotu kola is one of the most luscious herbal houseplants, and I enjoy its presence in my library, where it keeps me company throughout the winter as I write. When the afternoon doldrums seize my creativity, I nibble on a leaf or two for renewed inspiration.  It’s surprisingly easy to grow, both as a garden herb and as a potted plant. In zones 7b and warmer, gotu kola can be grown outdoors as a perennial ground cover, and in colder climates it can be grown as a frost-tender annual.

Gotu kola prefers moist soils with good drainage. If your soil is compacted or clayey, add finished compost, coarse sand, or pine bark fines. In milder climates, you can grow gotu kola in full sun, as long as the soil stays relatively moist, either through irrigation or by choosing a moist garden site.

In hotter climates, plant gotu kola in part shade; preferably with morning sun and afternoon shade. In my garden, I play the herbal matchmaker by pairing gotu kola with passionflower vine (Passiflora incarnata). Passionflower is trained up a tipi-type trellis, providing shade and holding in moisture for its creeping companion, who, in turn, suppresses weeds.

As a container plant, gotu kola prefers a shallow, broad pot with a saucer underneath to help keep it moist. You may need to water your plants every few days—they’ll readily wilt when they’re thirsty. In the summer, I grow potted gotu kola on my front porch, which receives full morning sun and afternoon shade. Before the first frost, I bring the plants inside, placing them in front of an east-facing window.

Whether your plants are in the garden or a container, harvest gotu kola with the “haircut method,” using kitchen scissors to trim most of its leaves. It quickly grows a new batch, offering a few cuttings per growing season.