Māmaki

Māmaki: 1 oz

Slow-dried. Deeply nourishing.

Māmaki works quietly and consistently. It doesn't rush, and it doesn't overstimulate — it restores. This is foundational, everyday medicine, meant to be taken over time.

Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and a member of the Urticaceae (nettle) family, māmaki holds a long lineage of use within lāʻau lapaʻau, traditional Hawaiian healing. It has been valued as a nourishing tea to support balance, cleansing, and long-term vitality — offered not as a quick fix, but as steady, sustaining medicine. Unlike most nettles, māmaki evolved here without sting, in islands that grew up without grazing animals.

The Butterfly

Māmaki is the host plant for the pulelehua, the Kamehameha butterfly — one of only two butterflies native to Hawaiʻi, and the state insect. Its caterpillars feed only on māmaki and a few close relatives in the nettle family. As forests gave way to fields and the plant grew scarce, so did the butterfly.

To grow māmaki is to tend that relationship. Every plant we put in the ground is habitat — a small act of return for a creature found nowhere else on earth.

The Medicine

Naturally rich in antioxidants and antimicrobial compounds, māmaki supports immune health while helping calm inflammation and excess internal heat. Energetically cooling and stabilizing, it's woven into many daily routines for blood sugar support, gentle metabolic balance, digestive ease, and overall system regulation.

Earthy, smooth, and grounding, this is a tea that sinks in rather than lifts you up — building resilience sip by sip.

We offer our māmaki crushed for ease of brewing and shipping, while still honoring the structure of the leaf. If you prefer whole leaf, reach out directly — we're happy to prepare it by request when available. We're also exploring new ways to prepare māmaki, so stay tuned. More to come.

This is slow medicine. Ancestral medicine. Medicine that remembers where it comes from.

Profile

Temperature: Cooling

Primary Actions: Antioxidant support, circulation of the water, immune support, blood sugar balance, system regulation 

Taste: Earthy, mild, softly green

Best For: Daily nourishment, heat clearing, long-term foundational support

Brewing

1 tablespoon per 8 oz of water

Heat to 180-200°F (just below boiling to a full boil)

Steep or gently simmer 10–20 minutes- longer if you'd like a more medicinal steep

Enjoy alone or as a base for blending

Suitable any time of day

All herbs are harvested in the morning, when the plants are at their most vibrant — essential oils concentrated, leaves known and awake, and the day still cool. This timing helps preserve flavor, aroma, and medicinal quality. After harvest, herbs are either hang-dried if appropriate or dehydrated at low temperatures. This allows the medicine to transition gently, preserving color, energetics, and potency rather than rushing the process.