What Is Damiana? Meet the Flirty Free Spirit

Damiana is a small flowering shrub from Mexico and Central America. People there have been brewing its leaves into tea for centuries, and it comes with one of the best reputations in the plant world.

Yellow flowers. Smells great. Shows up in the origin story of the margarita. It has never once been boring.

At Milli we call damiana the Flirty Free Spirit. First to suggest a spontaneous road trip, somehow never forgets the sunscreen.

Where damiana grows

Damiana is native to southern Texas, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. It likes it hot, dry and sunny, and it's especially at home on the Baja California peninsula.

The plant itself is easy to miss. It's a low, scrubby bush with small serrated leaves and little yellow flowers. Crush a leaf, though, and you'll get it. The whole plant is aromatic.

That smell is how it ended up in teacups, and later in bottles.

A reputation that precedes it

The Maya knew damiana first. They called it mizibcoc and used it for dizziness and balance, which is a pretty sensible start for a plant that later got a wilder name.

The reputation shows up in writing in 1699. A Spanish missionary named Juan María de Salvatierra reported that people in Mexico steeped the leaves, added sugar, and drank it for romance.

Word travels. Damiana reached the United States in 1874, and by 1888 it was listed in the National Formulary, the official reference for American pharmacists. For a while botanists even filed it under the name Turnera aphrodisiaca. Subtle.

Fair warning: modern science has never backed up the legend. What damiana has is 300 years of people swearing by it.

The margarita connection

In Baja California Sur, damiana gets made into a sweet, honeyed herbal liqueur. Locals use it in place of triple sec, and Baja folklore says the very first margarita was made that way.

Nobody can prove who invented the margarita. But order one in Los Cabos and there's a good chance damiana is in it.

So yes, the Flirty Free Spirit was at the party long before Milli was.

Why damiana is in Milli

Milli is built for game nights, rooftops and first dates. A plant that's been invited to the party for 300 years belongs on that guest list.

In the can, damiana is part of the easy, talkative side of the blend. It rides with kava, lion's mane, cordyceps and mitragynine, with 0% alcohol, no caffeine and 35 calories.

Milli is for adults 21+. Start with one, sip slow, and keep it to two cans max in 24 hours.

Meet the rest of the squad, read up on kava, the Zen Master, or grab a pack. Drink happy. Live Milli.

Damiana FAQ

What is damiana?

A small aromatic shrub (Turnera diffusa) with yellow flowers. Its leaves have been brewed into tea in Mexico and Central America for centuries.

Where does damiana come from?

It's native to southern Texas, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. It grows especially well in Baja California.

Is damiana alcohol?

No. Damiana is a plant. There is a famous damiana liqueur from Baja, but the leaf itself has no alcohol, and neither does Milli.

Is damiana really an aphrodisiac?

That's its reputation, going back to at least 1699. Modern research hasn't confirmed it, so we'll call it a very good story.

What does damiana taste like?

Herbal and slightly sweet, a little like chamomile with more attitude.

Is there damiana in Milli?

Yes. Damiana is one of five active botanicals in Milli Original, along with kava, lion's mane, cordyceps and mitragynine.