Plant · P-898

Gotu Kola

Centella asiatica

Gotu Kola is a low, mat-forming evergreen perennial that spreads by creeping stolons rooting at every leaf node, native to damp shady ground, paddy margins and streambanks across tropical and temperate Asia. It stays under 20 cm tall while its stolons can run to a metre, tolerates full sun to light shade, and wants a consistently moist to wet, well-drained soil. The leaves are eaten raw or cooked and the whole plant is one of the most widely used adaptogenic herbs in Ayurvedic and traditional Asian medicine, taken to reduce inflammation, support wound healing and improve circulation, though it can irritate skin on contact and excess internal doses have caused headache and transient loss of consciousness.