Coca / Coca

Coca (Erythroxylum coca) is a deeply Andean plant with a very long history as both medicine and daily nourishment. We have several mature coca bushes growing on my own homestead, and they produce an abundance of seed, which we collect and carefully sprout into these little plants for the nursery. In the Andes, coca leaves have traditionally been chewed or prepared as tea to help the body adapt to altitude, supporting energy, breathing, circulation, digestion and stamina when the air becomes thinner. It has also been valued as a strengthening plant during fatigue, physical work and periods when the body needs a little extra support.

Coca itself is a surprisingly quiet plant in the garden. It does not demand attention or make a dramatic show, but simply settles into its place and grows. It prefers partial shade rather than harsh, exposed sun and appreciates rich, moist soil that drains well and never remains waterlogged. Once established in the right conditions, it becomes a beautiful evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves and a gentle presence. There is something very special about growing an ancient Andean medicine here in the Andes, especially when our own mature plants are now producing the seeds for the next generation.

This plant is in our Ecuadorian Plant Book