Post Series: Medicinal Flowers
When we think of medicinal plants, it’s often the roots, leaves, or bark that come to mind—yet around the world, flowers have long been used for their healing properties. This series explores some of the most powerful and time-honored blooms used in traditional and modern herbal medicine… as diverse as they are beautiful.
Butterfly Pea is a vibrant flowering plant native to Southeast Asia, known for its striking deep blue petals. It belongs to the legume family (Fabaceae) and is commonly grown as a climbing vine. In traditional Ayurvedic and Southeast Asian medicine, it has long been used for promoting memory, relieving stress, and enhancing vitality, especially the root and flowers, which are considered to have nootropic properties.
Beyond its medicinal history, the Butterfly Pea is famous for its natural color-changing ability: when its blue extract is added to acidic solutions like lemon juice, it turns a vivid purple or pink, making it a favorite in teas, cocktails, and culinary arts for both its beauty and antioxidant-rich pigments called anthocyanins.
· Origin: Southeast Asia.
· Traditional Use: Used as a brain tonic, coloring agent, and cooling herb in Ayurveda.
Exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cognitive-enhancing effects.
· Sample Reference: A Strategy to Employ Clitoria ternatea as a Prospective Brain Drug Confronting Monoamine Oxidase (MAO) Against Neurodegenerative Diseases and Depression. Margret AA, Begum TN, Parthasarathy S, Suvaithenamudhan S. Nat Prod Bioprospect. 2015 Dec;5(6):293-306.
*This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician.
Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea)-
