Siam Villa Garden: Java Tea

Orthosiphon aristatus is a plant species in the family of Lamiaceae / Labiatae. The plant is a medicinal herb found mainly throughout southern China, the Indian Subcontinent, South East Asia and tropical Queensland. It is known as kumis kucing in Indonesia and misai kucing in Malaysia, both of which translates to cat's whiskers. In the US it may be commonly known as cat's whiskers or Java tea.

Orthosiphon aristatus is used in landscaping to attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to its nectar.

It reaches a height of 200 cm upon maturity. The leaves contain flavones, saponins, a glycoside, an essential oil, and potassium. It has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. It is highly diuretic and used in the treatment of various kidney conditions, cystitis, urethritis, and gout. It has two named varieties - Orthosiphon aristatus var. aristatus and Orthosiphon aristatus var. velteri. Plant propagation is through seeds and stem cuttings. Orthosiphon aristatus is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in) at a fast rate.

Java tea is a popular herbal remedy in southeast Asia and is also commonly exported to Germany and various other countries. Research has confirmed the presence of a number of medically active compounds and also the diuretic action of the leaves. The leaves contain flavones (including sinensetin), saponins, a glycoside (orthosiphonin), an essential oil and large amounts of potassium (which is largely responsible for the diuretic effect).