One thing we still can do is take walks in lovely Boulder. On days like yesterday and today, we wonder if it gets any better. And what do we see? Crocuses. Buds appearing on trees. Dandelion leaves, which means soon those bright yellow flowers will start popping up on lawns.
Flowers are lovely things, easy on both the eyes and the nose. But it turns out they also are good for our bodies. Flower power is real!
And we sell a wide range of teas that turn to flowers for flavor, perfume and health benefits.
Power of Jasmine
Few flowers are as rooted in history as jasmine. The name comes from the Persian word Yasmin, which means “Gift from God” — even the name of the flower suggests flower power. It’s the sacred flower of Kama, the god of love, and also is the national flower of Pakistan, where brides wear jasmine garlands to symbolize both purity and sensuality.
Many of us are most familiar with jasmine’s delicate aroma through Chinese jasmine tea. Chinese people have using flowers from the shrub for centuries. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), jasmine flowers first became especially popular, and they remain a part of Chinese tea culture.
Jasmine helps with digestion, improves blood circulation, and is also considered an aphrodisiac. We carry a variety of jasmine teas, but are especially fond of Jasmine Silver Needle, the king of all jasmine teas.
Power of Chrysanthemum
Many of us plant chrysanthemums during the summer, and enjoy the blooms until the first frost. But we normally refer to them by their shorthand name — mums. Like most flowers, they are considered decorative, but practitioners of Chinese medicine have been using chrysanthemum flowers for centuries. People turn to chrysanthemums to treat respiratory problems, hyperthyroidism and high blood pressure. They also leverage its power to reduce inflammation and calm nerves. We sip our Organic Green Chrysanthemum tea for its lively flavor, which is similar to chamomile (another powerful flower used in tea, and which we offer at Ku Cha). But like many others, we also like it for supporting lung health and to fight colds and flus.
Power of Lavender
Who doesn’t love lavender? It’s got to be one of the more common floral scents in the world, and for good reason. The aroma is intoxicating. We love those photos of entire Provencal landscapes blanketed in lavender, and dream of walking through those fields one day.
But lavender is about more than perfume. It’s a powerful health promoter as well. Lavender’s benefits revolve around stress — the flower helps reduce it. And managing stress is of extreme importance to our overall health. Doctors and medical researchers point towards stress as the cause of many of our health problems.
One benefit of reduced stress? More restful sleeps, which also are important for health. Lavender can help mitigate headaches, many of which find roots in stress.
We adore our Organic Cloud Chaser tea, which is loaded with lavender.
Power of Heather Blossom
It’s got such a pretty name, yes? Heather. We hear heather, and we think of rock-studded slopes in Ireland leading down to the sea. Have you seen pictures of those heather-covered fields? Gorgeous.
It turns out the tiny pink flowers on shrubs across Europe, Russia and North America also contain loads of flower power. Tea brewed from heather is used to cleanse toxins from the body, relieve inflammation and support joint health. We love our Lemon Blossom Oolong, which contains heather.
Power of Rose
Poets celebrate roses, and have for centuries. Suitors deliver bouquets of red roses to proclaim their love. Roses enliven Valentine’s Day, weddings and dates. And few flowers offer such variety of floral bouquet. To inhale over a mid-summer rose blossom is to charge the senses with sensual pleasure. Given their hold over our imaginations and senses, it is no wonder that roses also bring benefits to our bodies. Rose petals are high in antioxidants and Vitamin C. They relieve menstrual cramps, and promote heart health. The rose is one versatile flower, providing lifts to so many corners of our lives. Our Organic Rose Puerh combines the beauty of rose petals with the glories of pu-erh, a fermented Chinese tea prized for its delicate and complex flavors.
Power of Osmanthus Flower
This one is a bit more unusual, at least for people outside of China. Osmanthus flower is celebrated in Southern China for its sweet, almost buttery, aroma and its beautiful shade of yellow. In cooking, it is popular in sweet desserts. And in China people routinely infuse different green and black teas with these special blossoms. Osmanthus is delicious, but it’s also healthy. Rich in antioxidants, helpful for weight loss, useful for optimizing blood pressure, dispelling phlegm, curbing appetite and refreshing breath, osmanthus is one flower that is positively packed with power. Our Osmanthus Oolong combines the earthy pleasures of oolong with the floral delights of Osmanthus flowers.
