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Schisandra berries are great for a healthful tea

The vine is native to Asia and Siberia but grows well in North Texas.

I’ve got a new tea recommendation for you, and it’s a good one for the holiday season.

Schisandra berry (Schisandra chinensis) is a pretty vine, also know as Omija, five-flavored fruit and magnolia berry. It has been cultivated for thousands of years and used as a beautifying tonic herb and in numerous other traditional culinary and medicinal recipes. I’m not sure why it took me so long to discover it.

Schisandra is delicious but also reported to help alleviate stress and help the body deal with physical and mental fatigue. The adaptogenic properties of schisandra have been cited for centuries in Asian tradition for helping beautify and protect the skin from environmental stress. It’s an herb plant that is reported to help a person adapt to stress by having a normalizing effect on body processes. It is also said that schisandra’s concentrated B-vitamin complex and antioxidant activity can help support healthy liver function and hormonal balance.

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Schisandra is available commercially by mail order but can also be grown and harvested in late summer and can be pressed fresh into juice or sun-dried for use in a variety of preparations including herbal teas, vitality tonics and infused liquors. Schisandra’s common name, “five-flavor berry,” alludes to its complex flavor profile of sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent aspects all found in the fruit. It’s really a nice and refreshing taste.

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Schisandra is available from Mountain Rose Herbs via mail order.
Schisandra is available from Mountain Rose Herbs via mail order.(Howard Garrett / Special Contributor)

Schisandra vine is native to Asia and Siberia but hardy here in zones 4-8. Snow-white flowers are followed by striking crimson-red berries, which have the tart and distinctive aroma and taste. The fruit makes tasty, vitamin-rich juice, tea and preserves, and the dried leaves, shoots and roots can also be used to make a refreshing and stimulating tea.

Schisandra is available via mail order from quality herb suppliers such as Mountain Rose Herbs (mountainroseherbs.com).

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Here’s an easy recipe for you to try: My teapot holds about 6 cups. You can certainly use more, but I add 2 tablespoons of Schisandra berries to the 6 cups of water brought to a gentle boil in a glass kettle and then allow it to steep for 10 to 15 minutes. I hope you like it as much as I do.

I’m still getting questions about where to buy the wonderful comfrey plant for use on skin issues. Comments that it’s hard to find in the local nurseries are plentiful. If I owned a garden center, I would carefully read my column weekly and be sure to have the right things I recommend. Oh, well. Here’s a place to get some quality comfrey plants via mail order: thegrowers-exchange.com.

A final important note: Please consider sending some money (any amount would be great) to the American Red Cross or your favorite charity to help the recent victims of the tornadoes in Kentucky.

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And, of course — Merry Christmas!