A tropical shrub, damiana is distinguished by its pointed green leaves and small yellow flowers. When growing a damiana plant, it is important to keep it in a warm and sunny location. You might want to consider growing it in a container if you live in an area with harsh winters. This bush prefers very rich soil that is lightly sandy and has good drainage. It requires only average watering, and should be mulched and pruned annually to keep it healthy.
The damiana plant is native to Mexico, Africa, and South America. Growing damiana outdoors should only be done if you live in a moderate climate where temperatures rarely drop below freezing. When placing this plant outdoors, it should be planted in direct sunlight but away from high winds if possible. If you live in an area that does see a great deal of frost, you may want to plant this bush in an indoor container instead. You should also find a very sunny window to place this shrub in, and a southern-facing one is generally preferred.
While it thrives in nearly any type of soil, the damiana plant typically does best in very rich dirt. You may want to prepare your soil by adding some manure to the ground and tilling it into the soil if you are placing the plant outdoors. When growing indoors, you can use a commercial potting soil for doing this. It is perfectly acceptable to add a bit of sand to the mixture, as this tends to help with drainage. Some pea gravel could also be added to the soil to provide good drainage whether indoors or out.
When you first plant this shrub, it can be a good idea to moisten the roots and surrounding soil thoroughly. After this, the damiana plant should be watered on a regular basis, but should not be over-watered. You may allow the soil to dry out completely between watering rather than remaining damp. Most gardeners water this plant approximately once a week on average.
Once the shrub has been planted, it is normally very easy to care for. If planted outdoors, it can be a good idea to mulch around the shrub in the fall. This can help maintain a constant soil temperature and protect the roots from sudden cold snaps. You may also want to prune this bush in the spring before flowers appear, as removing damaged limbs can help spur new growth.