One afternoon in May of 2012, my husband and I visited Manila Seedling Bank along Agham Road, Quezon City to purchase Gynura Procumbens and spearmint.  I was delighted I was able to propagate both plants with success. I just picked-out several young leaves of gynura procumbens from the garden so my husband and I could drink tea from it after meals anytime we wanted. For this reason, I know how gynura procumbens smells, tastes and looks like. We even eat it raw, tossed with tomatoes, onions and a dash of salt and lemon juice as a salad.

It was November 1^st after my family and my sisters-in-law visited the grave of my father and mother-in-law when I realized how misinformed people were about the herbs gynura procumbens and ashitaba.

My sister-in-law, a professor at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines mentioned in passing that she has propagated ashitaba as we drove her home. It was a pleasant surprise for me and my husband as we were both looking for ashitaba plant for quite some time but we never got the chance to go to Bio-research to purchase one. We were both happy and excited at the prospect that we can get ashitaba without much effort and for free.

When we got to her place, I was disappointed to learn that it was not ashitaba and told her it was gynura procumbens. She must have been very much convinced by whoever gave it to her that she insisted it was ashitaba.

I felt even sadder when I saw gynura procumbens being sold as ashitaba for Php 50 at a legitimately operating website where one can post a free ad.  I wrote a private message to two among several advertisers and gave additional information about the difference between the two herbs by giving websites showing the real ashitaba plant. Apparently, the advertisers mistaken ashitaba and gynura procumbens as one and the same. The posted advertisement reads: ASHITABA (Gynura Procumbens)


Today, my husband and I decided to go back to Manila Seedling Bank to look for ashitaba, unfortunately the saleslady told me it was not available as it has to be imported from other country. I began looking at the other nursery/gardens to inquire. I felt dismayed when the gardener cum seller I asked excitedly pointed and showed me to a plot filled with gynura procumbens. I told him that it was gynura procumbens and not ashitaba. If an individual walked-in to purchase ashitaba without any first-hand information, he might end up feeling good he got ashitaba when the truth is what he got was actually gynura procumbens.

I posted pictures of gynura procumbens and ashitaba so you can make an informed decision.