Rhododendron Adamsii

Rhododendron Adamsii or Sagan Dale, a member of the Heath family, is a small evergreen shrub with beautiful flowers, native to the high alpine mountains surrounding Lake Baikal in Siberia. Attempts to cultivate this species in botanical gardens have not been successful - hence specimens of the plant are considered relatively rare.

Rhododendron adamsii has been mentioned in three Tibetan medical treatises as an adaptogen, stimulant and tonic plant. It is believed that the leaves and flowers of this plant have the magical power to give people vitality, enhance workability and tolerance, and improve physical strength. It has been applied for the treatment of chronic diseases related to a general decline in vital processes, headaches, insomnia, exhaustion.

This plant is known by many names that reflect its reputation among different racial groups of people. Its powerful, ritualistic properties have clearly played a role for its reputation. The Russian population of the Baikal region calls it "tasty tea"; the Buriats call it "sagan-da-li" meaning "white feathers" because of its strong uplifting, stimulating properties in the right doses.

In folk medicine of Russia and in the indigenous tribes of Eastern Siberia, Rhododendron adamsii is still used to treat heart, nervous and stomach diseases. It is also used as a diuretic, sweat and fever reducer. Thus, the widespread application of the plant is linked to the belief that it acts directly on the human body as a whole.

It is very important to know that rhododendrons have been known since ancient times as poisonous plants with severe effects. For example, Xenophon, a Greek historian (380 BC) has written about some Greek warriors who had eaten poisonous honey from the plant - ingesting it put them into a drowsy, dreamy state of mind and rendered them unable to fight.

The dosage makes the poison with everything and Rhododendron Adamsii is certainly no exception. Just 2-5 leaflets of the plant and their subsequent boiling in water for ~15 minutes yields a strong stimulating decoction without caffeine. The leaves yield a fragrant tasting tea without the addition of sweeteners/other additives.