The Ravishing Coleus Plants or Mayana

It has been roughly 5 months since the announcement of Quarantine here in the Philippines because of the worldwide Pandemic caused by CoViD-19. Imagine those 5 months with limited resources, places to go to and things to do on a daily basis. well, let's look at the bright side, we got plenty of time. We can spend more time for our family, more time to reevaluate ourselves and most importantly, more time to start a hobby, start learning something new and start to think of things which we can still become productive members of our society ;-)

One of probably the most popular thing to do during this Pandemic is start to become a backyard gardener.

Yes, as guilty as it is, I am quite a plant addict now thanks to CoViD-19. I have planted an array of both fruiting and leafy vegetables. I am hoping to feed myself on a worst case scenario kind of thing this Pandemic can cause in the future ;-)

However, we will not discuss those vegetables while I'm trying to come up with not less than 500 words writing this!

Let's talk about Coleus my friends, or locally known here in the Philippines as Mayana.

Mayana is an erect, branched, fleshy, annual herb, about 1 meter high. Stems are purplish and 4-angled. Yeah, I am quite fascinated by its squared stem. Leaves are variously blotched or colored, usually more or less hairy, ovate, 5 to 10 centimeters long, rather coarsely toothed in the margins; and in the most common form uniformly velvety-purple. Yeah, that's a mouthful!

Coleus blumei, as Mayana's scientific name, is one of the traditionally used folkloric medicine and is primarily used for pain, sore, swelling and cuts and in other instances as adjunct medication for delayed menstruation and diarrhea. This traditional uses of Mayana are scientifically supported by studies here and abroad. Chemists form the University of the Philippines isolated sterols and triterpenes form the leaves of mayana and it exhibited analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. Other health-benefitting phytoconstituents include alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannin, volatile oil, and quercetin. Another interesting component of the plant is its high rosmarinic acid content. This compound was noted for its high biological activities; prominent of those are its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

I remember my Mom used to put this Mayana on my lump because I am an energetic kid back then.

Is it edible?  Yes it is edible to Southeast Asia and is cultivated for ornamental purposes aside from being medicinal in nature.

According to my research, there are 43 varieties of Mayana. Imagine collecting all varieties, it will not just help us cope with anxiety or depression or fear due to this Pandemic, it will surely help us kill a lot of time on our daily lives trying to figure out what would our lives be if we will not win over this Virus anytime soon.

Worried how to make them grow? Coleus are thirsty, hungry plants that will reward regular feeding and repotting with abundant growth: if you are accustomed to growing tomatoes, you’ll find they like a similar regime. Coleus needs an ample amount of sunlight, though they can live without exposing them direct to UV, it is better to have their sun exposure from time to time.

Just looking at them and witness them grow form day to day will not just keep you busy at a time but as well as keep your insanity caused by both panic and anxiety attack on a tolerable level.

Cheerio!