Jiaogulan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum) is an herbaceous vine of the family Cucurbitaceae (cucumber or gourd family) indigenous to the southern reaches of China, southern Korea and Japan.
Jiaogulan is a vine hardy to USDA zone 8 in which it may grow as a short lived perennial plant. It can be grown as an annual in most temperate climates, in well-drained soil with full sun. The plant is dioecious, meaning each plant exists either as male or female, thus if seeds are desired both a male and female plant must be grown.
Western languages such as English and German commonly refer to the plant as jiaogulan. Other names include:
* English: five-leaf ginseng, poor man's ginseng, miracle grass, fairy herb, sweet tea vine, gospel herb. * Japanese: amachazuru (kanji: hiragana: literally amacha=sweet, cha=tea, zuru=vine). * Korean language: dungkulcha or dolwe. * Latin: Gynostemma pentaphyllum or Vitis pentaphyllum. * Thai: jiaogulan. * Vietnamese: Giảo cổ lam
