Peas, flowers, leaves.
Various parts of Zornia latifolia are used for different purposes, but the peas of this plant are perhaps the most widely used today. The reason is that maconha brava peas are most succulent and also contain the compounds that are most beneficial for our health. Prior to including the herb in human diet, it was tested on animals and the results show significant improvement in animals that consumed the plant. Subsequently, it was apparent that the plant's peas would also be beneficial for the human beings too. Later, this concept proved to be true. You can use maconha brava peas in your everyday cooking. However, before cooking the peas, they should always be treated with boiling water, as they are covered with hard shells and would be just about inedible. You can also include small quantities of these peas in cold salads. These peas offer the maximum benefits when they are processed as minimum possible. Heating the peas virtually drains out their nutritional properties. However, this is a common characteristic for most herbs with therapeutic properties. Nearly all medicinal herbs lose their health benefiting properties when they are in contact with heat. The stem of maconha brava is never used as it is extremely thin and also because it is not of much nutritional value. Nevertheless, you can use the flowers of this plant to extract oil and also prepare an herbal tea, subject to picking them at an appropriate time. It is likely that most products prepared from the Zornia latifolia flowers will be quite expensive, because they are not very common and seldom acquired. Aside from the oils and teas, occasionally people also dry out the flowers and use them as spices. Adding these spices to your recipes will certainly help the dishes to acquire a special flavour. Primarily and very often, Zornia latifolia is utilized for alleviating pain as well as for relaxation purposes. Often people, especially patients, consume a little tea prepared from the plant with a view to alleviate the pain in their joints. Moreover, this herbal tea can also be consumed for lowering blood pressure and providing relief from stomach problems. Here is a word of caution. You should never use the maconha brava plant on a regular basis, as it is mostly used in the form of an analgesic and taking too much of any pain reliever may have various adverse side effects. In general, there are no reports regarding any benefits of using Zornia latifolia for the skin. Nevertheless, the oil obtained from the peas of this plant can be employed for treating headaches, particularly when this oil is directly applied to the forehead. This herb offers several relaxing properties, provided it is used in an appropriate manner and recommended doses. This plant is generally used for soothing various problems in different parts of the body.
Zornia (Zornia latifolia) thrives best in soils that are acidic in nature and not very fertile. However, this plant can also endure drought situations well and it is often found growing in the form of a weed in the lawns as well as on road sides. Aside from humans, this plant is also palatable as well as nutritious for livestock. Moreover, zornia is a wonderful companion for a diverse range of grass strains. This species is propagated from its seeds. Ideally, you should sow Zornia latifolia or zornia during the spring or summer. To ensure reliable germination of the seeds you may stratify them by treating them with hot water. This is of course better than no treatment of the seeds at all. This process involves soaking the seeds in hot water during the duration of the night before sowing them. On the following day, sow the seeds just underneath a soil raising mix surface. The seeds of zornia generally germinate between a few days and few weeks from the day of planting. While this species can endure a variety of growing conditions, it is necessary to ensure that they are grown in full sunlight. Growing the plants in full sun will help them to thrive best. Zornia plants have a preference for warmer conditions and are very likely to wither away when grown in colder climatic conditions, barring in the tropical and sub-tropical regions. Therefore, it is advisable that you should treat them as an annual plant when grown in colder regions, provided you are unable to provide them with enough warmth during the colder months.