Bobinsana - Calliandra angustifolia: A Revered Plant Teacher and Healer that Works on Many Levels

Warm greetings all! 🙏 💚

Within the past few weeks, Bobinsana, Calliandra angustifolia, has been gently introducing itself into my awareness, first as a heart-opening tea offered at local potluck gatherings, and most recently from information given by friends who work with it, and who were aware of where to find it growing nearby. With this information I went to work researching this plant, taking a closer look at its myriad uses, and learning to correctly identify it. Thankfully, last week actually, I was able to identify and locate two separate local sources for this quite rare and revered plant here in Seaview, Lower Puna, far East Big Island of Hawai'i.

Bobinsana is a multibranched riparian (growing by rivers) large shrub/small tree from the Amazonian region of South America (Perú, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil), that has many names and diverse uses by multiple indigenous tribes in these areas, who hold it in deep reverence as a master plant teacher and healer. While I won't go into its multitudinous uses in this post, as that information is readily available online, and it has such seemingly broad and deep affects across so many domains, I do want to share my personal experiences with this new plant teacher.

While this is its presently accepted taxonomy/systematics

Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Tribe: Mimosoideae

this research paper suggests that its exact systematic placement may indeed be in question, as it possess quite unique floral features not found in other species and taxonomic groupings that are considered to be close relatives.

I'm as interested in its taxonomy and systematics as I am in its medicinal, healing, and shamanic uses, of which there are many. It seemingly has quite multi-level effects across the physical, emotional, mental, and even spiritual domains. Bobinsana holds many mysteries, it seems, and I am just beginning my journey of discovery and work with this beautiful and special plant. I'm excited! The idea comes to my mind to pair it with cacao. Many experiments lie ahead!

This is a bobinsana tree growing in front of a friend's house. There are many seedlings beneath it, which I will return to collect later, to put in pots.

This is another group of several bobinsana trees growing, very surprisingly, very close to where we live at The Sanctuary of The Blue Dragon (a very short walk), that I found after I discovered how to identify it. It was super close all along! There are several seedlings under these trees too, which I'll return to collect and pot up later. I can't wait to get bobinsana planted in the garden of The Sanctuary of The Blue Dragon!

This morning I collected a small batch of leaves, twigs, and flowers, to experiment with making a tea from it.

I chopped the bobinsana into small pieces, and put everything in a half-gallon Mason jar. This time I only collected a small amount, though next time around I'll probably collect more, to make a stronger blend.

I filled the jar with hot (boiling) water, then let it steep for an hour.

My first attempt at making bobinsana tea! The tea is quite clear, and slightly yellowish. It has both a slightly astringent and very smooth and mellow quality to it. It produced a very mellow, relaxed, open, and soft feeling in my body. I'll definitely be experimenting, exploring, and working with bobinsana more in the future, both alone and in combinatoon with other plants.

I'll post more later, as I dive deeper and discover more about this fascinating, lovely, and seemingly quite potent plant.

Thank you all so much for allowing me to share more of the beauty and magic from my life and my world with you, and for your continuous appreciation and support! I am deeply grateful! 🙏 💚

Image created by @doze.