Henna is obtained from a tropical shrub known by its botanical name of ‘Lawsonia inermis’ The plant reaches a height of one to two meters. Its leaves are dark green while the flowers are light pink. The characteristic aroma of the henna plant that encircles its plantations is highly refreshing and stimulating.

How to grow

You will need to get some absorbent kitchen paper and a plastic bag with a zip closure.

Now place the absorbent paper on a flat surface and add so many sheets of paper, so as to obtain a comfortable and soft bed for our seeds. Then place the seeds (not too many, it will take a dozen) on absorbent paper and proceed going to fold the paper into two or three parts, so that it sits comfortably inside the plastic bag. Finally, close the whole thing tightly. What you have to do now is to simulate the winter, in fact you have to know that this plant grows better at low temperatures: it will therefore be essential to put the plastic bag with the seeds in the refrigerator for three or four days.

Once this period has elapsed remove the bag from the fridge and place it in a dry place. Leave it for another three or four days at room temperature and only then open it to check: if your seeds have sprouted, you will have done everything correctly, then close the bag and leave it at room temperature for a few days. If, on the other hand, your seeds have not yet sprouted, you should resume the procedure from the previous step, trying to insert new seeds and making sure to close the bag properly. Returning to those who had done everything correctly, it is important to point out that the seeds will have to leave them at room temperature for two or three days, as in this period of time they should still grow about a centimetre.

At this point there is nothing left to do but sow the sprouts, then mix the earth with a little sand to help drainage and finally fill a medium-sized vessel up to 2 cm from the edge. Sow the sprouts in such a way as to keep a distance of at least 3 cm from each other. Remember that the pots must be placed in a warm place, in fact, you must not forget that this plant is native to the very hot and arid regions. Finally, pay particular attention to attacks by aphids, treat the plant with natural products, especially if you want to use it to produce henna powder.

Every seed variety undergoes organic cultivation and self-testing on our South African, Botswanan, Zambian, and Tanzanian farms. Our commitment lies in offering a diverse selection of organically grown, open-pollinated, Non-GMO seeds, proudly produced and acclimated locally.

Before planting, please verify the conditions in your area suitable for the specific seed type. Growth rates and germination times hinge on various factors like soil conditions, rainfall/watering patterns, climate, and more. The outcome of growth and harvest may be influenced by these conditions.