Another plant growing from old seed (6-10 years old). Aren’t seeds amazing? Ephedra sinica is somewhat notorious, because ephedrine was purified from it and used in excess by people wanting to lose weight. I believe they can make an artificial ephedrine too. So the FDA prohibited selling supplements that contain ephedrine. Of course, anything used in excess can be dangerous, even water. But it is legal to grow your own plant.
It’s a stimulant kind of like coffee with caffeine. I have trimmed several tips, about 1/4 teaspoon and chewed them, but didn’t really notice anything. I guess you need more.
There are several kinds of Ephedra. Ephedra sinica (also called Ma Huang) is apparently the most potent. It hails from the desert steppes of Northern China. We also have Mormon tea (Ephedra nevadensis or Ephedra viridis) here in the U.S. It looks the same, but apparently doesn’t stimulate, but is used to alleviate asthma and the common cold.
Ephedra grows up to two feet tall, Maybe I should put mine in a bigger pot. There must be a female and a male plant to get fertile seeds, so with one plant I won’t be able to get seeds. You can buy Ephedra seedlings at Strictly Medicinal Seeds. Their seeds are out of stock at the moment. You can buy seeds on Ebay.
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