The leaves and flowers are both edible. The flowers are used to flavor cacao and the leaves are used to wrap tamales, infusing them with a sweet, smoky flavor.

How do you identify hand flower and where is it grown?

Flor de manita is a flower that grows on evergreen trees in Central and South American countries. The flor de manita tree can grow up to 50 feet tall and the flowers that grow off the evergreen typically have five petals that curl at the ends, which is why they are nicknamed flor de manita: “hand flower tree” and “devil’s hand tree.”  Spanish translation of “hand” is “mano,” and in many Spanish speaking countries, people will tend to add an “ita” to the end of words to describe that something is small. And that is where the name “flor de manita” comes from!

If you find yourself in these geographic areas, keep your eyes open. You can’t miss these bright little red hands that characterize the flor de manita.

Generally Prepared:

Flor De Manita is a popular herb generally prepared as a tea or tincture.

The tea is prepared with two teaspoons of Flor De Manita per eight ounces of water.

The tincture is combined in a 1:3 ratio (plant per fluid solvent).

Usually Prepared With:

Chamomile, Lemon Balm, Linden, Lobelia and Motherwort are among some of the popular herbs combined with Flor De Manita.