Indian pennywort

Habitat & Origin

Centella asiatica naturally grows in warm, humid regions of South and Southeast Asia. It thrives along rice terraces, in low, marshy grasslands and at the edges of irrigation channels, where the roots remain lightly moist and the leaves receive shelter from full sun. The plant forms low rosettes of rounded leaves that can spread like a green skin across the ground. In small-scale cultivation, the leaves are cut by hand, often early in the morning when the plant is fresh and firm. Harvest takes place in several rounds per season so the plant can continue to send out new shoots. For Maison Tisane we select leaves that are bright green and full of veins, without yellow edging. They are dried at low temperature so the characteristic light green freshness remains recognisable in the cup.

Active compounds

Asian pennywort contains characteristic triterpenes such as asiaticoside and madecassoside, along with gentle flavonoids and mild bitter components that give the herb its recognisable green signature. Together these constituents create a fresh, almost transparent herbaceousness with a light, rounded body. In a cup, pennywort brings a clear, calm undertone that subtly supports other botanicals without overpowering them.

Ayurvedic approach

Centella is counted among the Medhya Rasayana in Ayurveda — a group of plants symbolically associated with clarity of mind and sustained attention, more ritual than functional in intent. Its cool, opening character soothes Pitta and gives Kapha a sense of lightness, while Vata is approached gently due to the airy structure. In Sri Lanka and South India the leaf was known as “student’s herb.” Energetically it feels like morning shade along irrigated fields: quiet, clear and space-giving.

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