If you’ve been tracking the various “wellness” industries in the past few years, or even just perused the supplement section at your local grocery store, you’ve likely noticed the name of Withania somnifera, commonly called ashwagandha or winter cherry. A powerful herb popularly used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine (among other medicinal traditions of southeast Asia and Africa), ashwagandha root has become something of a darling in the West, used in expensive skincare regimes and “biohacking” diets that pledge eternal life to the devoted. As a member of the class of herbs known as “adaptogens”, ashwagandha has been traditionally used to help with sleep, build adrenal reserves, and improve overall vitality. However, like any exotic remedy, there are very real concerns around the sustainability and ethical production of plants grown far away once an unprecedented demand for them has been created.
Lucky for us, ashwagandha is a fun and relatively simple herb to grow in the home garden, and its very real health benefits provide an opportunity to easily upgrade your medicine chest. A member of the Solanaceae family, ashwagandha shares some characteristics with other family members like eggplants and peppers. It produces husk-enclosed fruits that look like tiny tomatillos, and appreciates plenty of heat and sunshine. However, ashwagandha is adapted to grow in sandy, dry conditions, and doesn’t need much in the way of water or fertility, just sweet, well-draining soil. Ashwagandha is prized for its long, tough roots, so well-worked soil is imperative to good root growth. The plants should be started indoors or purchased from a nursery (like Red Wagon) to give you a jump start on the season, and only transplanted outside or into a greenhouse once the soil has fully warmed up. I like to space my plants about a foot apart, which provides room for root growth but allows the plants to support each other once they reach their mature height of two to three feet tall.
Ashwagandha grows well alongside Tulsi or other sturdy mint family members like lemon balm, especially those that don’t mind a little shade cast by the ashwagandha leaves. I’ve planted calendula around my plants as well, but the calendula can become a bit leggy if they’re spaced too closely together. The same beetles that like to snack on tomatillo plants (called tomatillo beetles or three-lined potato beetles) will attempt to feast on your ashwagandha leaves. Check the leaves regularly for the tell-tale orange eggs, and if necessary put on some gloves and squash the mating adults and larvae when you see them. Even with a fair amount of leaf damage, the ashwagandha plants will soldier on, but I think it makes for better medicine when the plants are lovingly defended. While the flowers are fairly drab, the husked fruits make for a beautiful backdrop as they turn red in early fall.
Ashwagandha and Tulsi have similar cultural needs: they are warm-climate perennial plants that really thrive as annuals in our short northern summers. Plant ashwagandha in early June, and watch it take off through the whole summer, right up until frost. Harvest by loosening the soil and pulling the whole plant up, making sure not to break the roots in the process. Roots should be sprayed clean and chopped up immediately (a sharp pair of pruners will do the job). The first year I grew ashwagandha, I pulled up a plant and neglected to chop it up for a couple days. That was four years ago, and I still have that same root hanging as an ornament in my house- it grew so rock-hard that processing quickly became an impossible task. Once the roots have been chopped, you have a few options. You can use them whole (added to chai blends or tinctured in vodka), or you can further powder the root and add it to everything from drinks to baked goods.
Honestly, the first time I smelled fresh ashwagandha root, I thought it smelled like a swimming pool. Since falling in love with its gentle, nourishing qualities, I now associate the smell with the plant’s own charisma. Once dried, the smell is reduced, and you’re left with a potent medicinal herb that carries the extra benefits of being locally grown and lovingly harvested.
Many of the constituents in ashwagandha are best extracted in a bit of fat, so I usually simmer it in a bit of milk or coconut oil when preparing it. Below is a simple recipe for hot chocolate. Try drinking before bedtime to ease into a restful sleep, or as a midday boost without added caffeine! And of course, always talk with your health care practitioner about any herbs or supplements you’re regularly utilizing.
Ashwagandha Hot Cocoa:
Ashwagandha root, chopped and dried
Cocoa powder
Dark chocolate chunks
Milk (cow or non-dairy, but make sure it has some fat in it)
Cinnamon
Sweetener of your choice (I like maple syrup)
Toss a handful of chocolate chunks into a saucepan, cover with water, and stir while simmering, until chocolate has thoroughly melted into the water.
Add ashwagandha root (about a tablespoon per serving) and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Add cocoa powder, milk, and cinnamon, and continue to cook on low heat for another 5-10 minutes.
Add sweetener to taste, strain out ashwagandha, and serve! The cooked roots can be reused a couple of times before composting.
Resources:
Ashwagandha monograph: https://www.herbrally.com/monographs/ashwagandha
Cech, Richo. Making Plant Medicine. Herbal Reads, 2000