Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica), packet of 30 seeds, organic

(25 customer reviews)

$5.95

Family:  Carrot (Apiaceae)

Hardy to Zones 8 to 12, otherwise grown as a potted plant or summer annual, 90 days to harvest

(Indian Pennywort, Gotu Kola, Gota Kola, Brahmi, Hydrocotyl asiatica)  Creeping perennial native to the tropics of the world, especially Hawaii, India, Tropical America, Southeast Asia and Africa. Etymology: Gotu Kola is Sri Lankan for “cup-shaped leaf.”  Hydro = water, cotyle = cup-shaped.  Cent = 1/100 of a dollar.  So, “hydrocotyl”: refers back to the common name (water-cup) and centella refers back to the pennywort grouping.  “Asiatica” refers to the Asian origin, even though the plant is pan-tropical.  I have personally experienced two different ecotypes: the Hawaiian/African/Indian ecotype with larger, heavily-scalloped leaves that are lobed at the base and the Asian ecotype that has smaller leaves, rounder and not as plump, with less pronounced scallops.  We have found the Asian type to be disease resistant and more vigorous and therefore somewhat easier to grow than the Hawaiian type. Traditional usage (Ayurveda): one of the Rasayana, said to increase mental clarity and impart long life.  Used to treat ulcerations both internal and external, improve digestion and fight amoebic dysentery.  Regular use imparts healthy color and tone to skin, treats eczema, psoriasis and rheumatism.  Speeds healthy growth of hair, skin and nails.  The young leaves are tasty in salads and may also be used in smoothies.  The leaves are often juiced, the juice mixed with water and sugar to make a refreshing and cooling drink.

Growing from seeds: Plant seeds in greenhouse conditions in very excellently drained soil, just pressed into the surface of the soil and water occasionally.  One of my tricks is to then cover the planting with 1/8 inch of white pumice and allow the seedlings to germinate up through that.  Seems to help.  The planting done in winter of 2024 was done in this manner, the flat left 18 inches below a grow light and kept at a minimum of 60 degrees F.  Rampant germination on day 19.  In standard culture, the seeds will probably germinate in 30 to 90 days. Seed sown in the unheated greenhouse in the fall may give substantially better germination rates, but generally not until spring.  Work seedlings up in pots and transplant to the field when the soil has really warmed up.

Plant prefers warm sun and rich, fertile soil or fast-draining soil, appreciating side-dressing with compost or regular applications of liquid fertilizer (fish emulsion, kelp tea, compost tea). Water frequently.  Space plants 2 feet apart–they spread!   Field-grown gotu kola can get quite large, yielding several pounds per plant.  I have included a photo of one plant harvested midseason here in Oregon.  The plant is on a sorting screen, with a full-sized shovel underneath it (red band on the handle).  This will give you an idea of how effective it is to grow the plant in standard field or garden context.  r

30 seeds/pkt., Certified Organically Grown

Please note that Gotu Kola seeds are often paired.  Paired seeds count for 2.

PS, a bit more.  Information found on the web regarding Gotu Kola is full of hearsay, bibliographic echo and error.  The CABI invasive species compendium, in cooperation with USDA,  shows a primary photo that is not Centella asiatica (the plant does not make white flowers that hover up over the leaves!)  The growing conditions are listed by many sources as “swampy” which is inaccurate.  Actually, the plant does best in places where excellent drainage is combined with frequent watering, and may easily rot and disappear in overly wet environs.  The primary plant will make a long taproot, appearing like a thin carrot, and will send out horizontal rhizomes that root in at the nodes.  These axillary plants will send nutrients back to the mother plant, and may also be removed by the gardener and replanted at a distance (they are clones).  Flowers are normally reddish and occur at the very base of the plant and eventually at every node that becomes sufficiently mature.  The flowers give way to the seeds, really 2 seeds joined in a disk, which break apart at absolute ripeness.  The seeds are longitudinally ridged, which helps differentiate them from seed of look-alikes, such as other pennywort species.  Gotu Kola is a pioneer plant in the tropics that covers ground laid bare by fire, construction, etc.  Gotu Kola grows luxuriously in ditches in India, and the story goes that in the early days, when herbalists imported Gotu Kola from India, one of the shipments contained a hubcap!  Nowadays we assure a clean product by growing our own.  RAC

 

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25 reviews

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What others are saying

  1. Question

    pyroinsanity13

    Hello,
    Can gotu kola seeds be direct sown in zone 7a and produce new seeds before the frost gets them? We get at least 5 months of no frost per year.

    I have the same question about Bacopa monnieri?
    Thanks

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      Hi Pyro,
      Thanks for getting in touch. In both cases the seeds are very challenging to get started and I personally would have a hard time direct-seeding them, I really rely on controlled conditions for these. Regarding maturation from seed to seed in 5 months, I don’t think that would happen. It would be reasonable to plant the plants in the spring garden in a Z 7 and get a good harvest of aerial parts, but seeds take longer with both species. richo

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  2. One person found this helpful
    Julie

    So rewarding to grow!

    Julie (verified owner)

    I’m a Vermont gardener (zone 5) and love growing Gotu Kola. I started the seed 2 years ago and have been growing it as a beautiful houseplant. It was outgrowing its pot, so this spring I decided to move it outside for the summer. I tucked it into the edge of a raised bed and with the rainy summer we’ve had, it took off. I’ll bring it back indoors for the winter and suspect I’ll have many babies to give away.

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    • One person found this helpful
      Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      yup, this is the way to do it!

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    • One person found this helpful

      Femmaeve

      Omg! I’m in VT! Can I get some gotu kola babies from you?

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      We have some options for you. Growers in vermont can grow gotu kola outdoors in the summer garden, so you can buy plants and we’ll ship them to you in the spring. Or you can plant the seeds–this year was really a good one on gotu kola. Or if you can’t wait for these things, there is still organic gotu kola dried herb left although I would hurry on that, it is selling out fast. richo

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    • Jay Narayan

      I recently bought gout kola seeds (Centella Asiatica) the seeds that I received shows as hydrocotyl asiatica – is it the same?

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      Hello Jay, It is the same. Hydrocotyl = centella. Richo

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    • One person found this helpful

      Lagoon sister (verified owner)

      Hello! I am from South Korea (Jeju island to be exact lol) and I received my gotu kola seeds yesterday! (They arrived faster than I expected 🥲) it’s about 13 Degrees Celsius in the daytime (55 Degrees Fahrenheit) and it is my first time planting gotu kola so I am very excited and nervous 🥲 i just have to space out the seeds in the pot and wait for it to germinate right?

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      hi, that is a bit cool, put the pot in the sun during the day and water a bit more frequently to keep it from drying out. we had excellent gotu kola seeds this year, they will work. r

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    • christopheburrell

      You said you can ship the plant? How much would that cost .. to Massachusetts? thx.

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      greetings! a bit confused since this comment is left on our seed offering. Seeds are available from new crop and ship free of charge if $10.00 worth of packets are ordered. Plants cost priority mail postage to ship–you can review costs before finalization–the charges will depend on number of plants ordered. r

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  3. Question

    thenaekedgardener (verified owner)

    Hello Richo,
    The Gotu Kola plants you sent me back in 2020 have been producing abundant flowers and seeds!! Most have already split into three distinct sections of two seeds making 6? seeds total per flower as it appears to me….. When should I harvest my seeds on these?? If they’ve split a month ago, should I harvest or wait until summers end in about two weeks; starting from the base of the plant working my way down the runners as days go by????
    Thank you!
    -naeked

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    • 3 out of 3 people found this helpful
      Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      gotu kola surprisingly is in the carrot family (Apiaceae) and so seeds are paired. anything that is red or reddish-coloered is still in flower–leave it. seed harvest is picky–seeds at very base of plant, right at or in the soil, are usually best– if they’ve split into singles they are very much ready. Runners will have less mature seed. Old runners may have mature seed. dry on screen, rub thoroughly and table-separate to purity.

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    • Josh VandeWerfhorst (verified owner)

      What does it mean that Gotu Kola seeds are paired? Do I plant a seed from both packs together?

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      hi josh, another name for paired seeds is syncarp. There are 2 seeds attached together. this is typical to the carrot family (apiaceae). a packet might contain 15 paired seeds = 30 seeds in all. Or it might have some that have broken apart. we are offering some really nice gotu kola seed these days. indeed i spent a few rather calm hours today table separating 3.8 grams of hard-won seeds, preparing them for packaging, looking at them under the microscope. . . r

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  4. Question

    tassrat53

    I live in zone

    9-10 in Florida can you suggest
    A Poppy that might do well here

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  5. Question

    Janet L Kuenzi

    Last year I ordered gotu kola seeds on amazon because you were out. Got one seed to germinate and it has been quite vigorous, but now seeing your pictures and pictures on various sites… am thinking my plant may be an imposter. Some of the google images do look like mine but most have the serrated edges which mine does not have. Difference also in the veining and the depth of the notch in the heart shape. Post on Daves Garden pointed to much confusion in ID-ing it. My biologist son is unable to solve the mystery, but thought the leaves might acquire the serrated edge as they got older. So far it has only been in pots. I am concerned as I have sold some plant divisions at local farmer’s market. One clue would be if you could describe the taste of the leaf. I find it very aromatic almost incense-like or possibly like some exotic flower. I will send a picture when I can get someone to help me with sending it.(my computer skills are very minimal). Thank you I appreciate your consideration to this query….Janet Kuenzi

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      Hi Janet,
      There is considerable variation in Hydrocotyl (Centella) asiatica depending on ecotype. There really are several different appearing plants that are indeed gotu kola. However what you have there doesn’t look like either of them–the leaves are too thick, too smooth, and as you mentioned lack the scallops. Gotu kola tastes like lettuce at its best and otherwise can be pretty bitter (out of prime season). The plant is enthusiastically stoloniferous so if your plant is sending out runners that root in at the nodes this might be a good sign. But there are other plants that do that. Lots of them. I wish nobody purchased seeds on e-bay, the majority of these sellers are buying seeds from reputable suppliers and reselling them without knowledge of identification or germination.
      Richo

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  6. Question

    Priyanka ks

    Is this Gotu kola seeds product available

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    • Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      We do have gotu kola seeds on an ongoing basis. Please click “waitlist” to receive an e-mail when we make our next harvest.

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  7. Question

    Arif Ansız

    The seeds are available now?

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  8. Question

    Ben Brown

    Hi, is this back in stock yet?

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  9. Question

    Thu duong

    How can I order guru kola plants? And what’s the price and shipping cost.

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  10. Question

    David Brown

    Hi, are there seeds yet ?
    Thanks

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    • Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      Not yet, mother plants just now (4/27/2019) going out to the field. r

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    • LILA MCCLELLAN (verified owner)

      re: growing conditions, does gota kola like hot intense sun and heat or cooler climates and part shade?

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      hi lila, thanks for writing. gotu kola likes full sun and a moist, nutrient-dense soil. it can be grown in the summer garden much as you would a cucumber. richo

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  11. Question

    Brian Boyce

    Is interest in gotu kola increasing? Sure looks like it!

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    • Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      yes

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    • Gargi

      Hi do you have seeds available ?

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    • Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      Hello Gargi, Not at this time–seeds are produced by the mature plant in August through October and we will always have them at that time. Right now, unless you’re international, the plants are available and a very good way to go. Actually, growing Gotu Kola from seed is quite difficult, while increasing the plant by means of planting the rooted nodes is quite easy. Buying the plants will give you a year’s head start, and please hurry, we will run out of these. richo

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    • Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      No, we suggest getting gotu kola plants, much easier, as long as you’re within the US. Anyway, I’ll be glad to e-mail you when the seed comes available. r

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  12. Question

    SS

    When the Gotu kola and Brahmi seeds will be available .

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  13. Question

    sandhya_raja76 (verified owner)

    How long will it take for shipping?

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    • Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      Currently early March 2019 3-day turnaround on the average seed order.

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    • Sheri R

      Hoping to get some seeds! Do we really have to wait til 2020? 🙂

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    • Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      Hi Sheri,
      No, I have a pile of dried gotu kola I harvested this year and have been sorting through to get the seeds out. I’m going to get with it and enable some packets for you. Please hurry.
      Richo

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  14. Question

    Cecile

    Are you already out of gotu kola seeds? It’s only Marsh 5th…

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  15. Question

    Fran Wheeler

    are these seeds available?

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  16. Question

    Heenakhanam Mohammad

    I need gotu
    kola seeds

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    • Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      OK, we just (2/26/2019) cleaned a new batch. Please hurry to order before they run out. I’m assuming you are international so seeds are your only choice. For domestic growers, I recommend getting the plants instead, it gives you a huge head start.

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  17. One person found this helpful
    JOHNTHIIRU

    JOHNTHIIRU

    I would love some centella asiatica seeds for planting here in kenya my home. 😉

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