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Coleus aromaticus, known as Omavalli in Tamil, is an easy-to-grow medicinal plant, and comes in handy at home.

Taken orally, the juice from its crushed leaves is effective in bringing out phlegm. Alternatively, we may regularly add a sprinkling of its chopped aromatic leaves to salads and soups to keep our lungs and respiratory tract congestion free, especially during the rainy season.

You might also try this simple recipe – make an omavalli bhajji and watch children eat it without a fuss. The leaves retain their best potency when used fresh, so the juice of fresh leaves is more potent than extracts obtained by boiling the leaves in water. Curiously, Omavalli happens to be a commonly used spice in Spanish cuisine. The thick-leaved plant can make for an aesthetic add-on to your landscape too, especially when placed against a backdrop of rockery.

Though the plant can survive in semi-shade conditions, Omavalli requires exposure to bright sunlight for at least 6 hours to achieve maximum potency. The plant can be raised in small pots in the usual soil mixture containing one part sand, one part red earth and one part manure and requires a litre of water everyday. You can raise Omavalli plants from stem cuttings. These plants often last for more than four years.

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