Organic Sun Opener Loose Leaf Tea

Organically grown Sun Opener Tea

Our organically grown Sun Opener tea is sourced from pure milled Heimia salicifolia leaf and stem. Native to the Americas, ranging from the Southwestern United States through Mexico to South America, Sun Opener is a shrub with a deep history in Aztec and Highland Mexican herbalism. It is famously known as "Sinicuichi." Legend suggests the plant was used to help "open" the memory of past events or to hear the "voices of the sun," leading to its poetic common name.

Directions for Use

• Start with ¼ to ½ teaspoon of ground plant.
• Mix with warm water, tea blends, or other beverages.
• Adjust serving size at will, to taste.

Ingredients

100% Organically Grown Heimia salicifolia (Sun-Opener) Milled Leaf and Plant Aerial Parts. This is not certified organic but rather organically grown practices.

FDA Disclaimer

This product has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Not intended for use in diagnosing, treating, curing, or preventing disease. If pregnant, lactating, taking medication, or have medical conditions, consult a physician before using. Children's access to be avoided.

At a glance

• Milled leaf and aerial parts of Heimia salicifolia
• Also known as sinicuiche, sun opener and shrubby yellowcrest
• Organically grown, though not certified organic
• Start with a quarter to half a teaspoon of ground plant
• Goes into warm water, tea blends or other beverages
• Adults 21 and over

The plant. Heimia salicifolia is a willow-leaved shrub in the loosestrife family, growing wild from the American Southwest through Mexico and down into South America. It carries small yellow flowers along narrow leaves, and it has been part of Aztec and Highland Mexican herbal practice for a very long time. The name sinicuiche is the one it carries in Mexico.

Where the name comes from. The traditional accounts describe the plant as opening the memory of past events and letting the drinker hear the voices of the sun. That is the origin of sun opener as a common name, and it is a piece of folklore rather than a claim about what the plant does. It is repeated here because it is the reason anyone knows the plant by that name at all.

Traditional preparation. The old accounts describe leaves being left to wilt in water in the sun for a day before drinking, which is closer to a solar infusion than a hot brew. Modern use is simpler:

• Warm water: a quarter to half a teaspoon of the milled plant stirred in. Adjust to taste from there.
• In a tea blend: it sits well with other loose leaf botanicals and is not a dominant flavour.
• Solar infusion: the traditional route, steeped in water and left in the sun for a day.
• In a beverage: the milled form stirs into juice or a cold drink.

Milled, not cut. This is ground rather than left as a tea cut, which is why the serving is measured in teaspoons and why it goes into a drink directly rather than needing a long strained steep. It also means it will not fully settle out, so stir before each sip.

Cautions.

• Consult a physician before use if you are pregnant, lactating, taking medication, or have a medical condition
• Do not use with alcohol
• Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how it affects you
• For adults 21 and over; children's access to be avoided

Storage. Sealed, cool, dark and dry. Milled plant material loses aroma faster than a whole leaf cut, so keep the container closed and consider a desiccant packet.

Related products. There is a sun opener tincture if you would rather have it as a liquid. Other traditional loose leaf botanicals are in Loose Leaf Botanicals, including Calea Dream Herb and wild lettuce.

Common questions

• What is sinicuiche? The Mexican name for this same plant, Heimia salicifolia.
• Is it certified organic? No. It is grown using organic practices but it does not carry certification.
• How much should I start with? A quarter to half a teaspoon of the ground plant, adjusted to taste.
• Does it need a long steep? No, it is milled rather than cut, so it goes into warm water directly. The traditional method is a day-long solar infusion instead.
• What part of the plant is this? Milled leaf and aerial parts, meaning leaf and stem rather than root.

Disclaimer. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Sun opener is a traditional botanical, and traditional use does not establish that it will produce any particular result. If pregnant, lactating, taking medication, or you have a medical condition, consult a physician before using. Use at your own risk. Children's access to be avoided. For adults 21 and over.