Brahmi Memory Herb

Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) is a creeping bog herb that forms a bright green mat 10 to 15cm high, with small succulent leaves and tiny white to pale mauve flowers in the warm months. It grows wild across the tropics, including northern Australia, and is traditionally known as the memory herb. For gardeners its appeal is simpler: it is a tidy, edible groundcover for the wettest spot you have.

Why you'll love it

• A groundcover for wet soil. It thrives in ground that stays soggy, at pond margins and in shallow water to 5 to 10cm.
• Fresh green all through the warm season. The small, fleshy leaves are packed closely on trailing stems and stay neat.
• A traditional herb. The leaves have a long history of use as a herb and are eaten fresh in small amounts. They are quite bitter.
• Easy in a pot. A pot stood in a saucer of water on a sunny step grows it as well as any pond.
• Soft trailing habit. Stems spill over the rim of a bowl or the edge of a pond and blur hard lines.

Where it works best

Pond edges. Plant 20 to 30cm apart along the margin, in wet soil or with up to 10cm of water over the crown. The stems knit into a continuous mat.

Herb pots. Grow one plant in a 20cm pot in a saucer that is kept full, close to the kitchen door for picking.

Bog gardens and bowls. Use it as the low layer beneath upright sedges and rushes.

Growing Brahmi Memory Herb in Australia

Position and climate. Sun to part shade. In hot inland summers a little afternoon shade keeps the leaves from scorching. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It is frost tender, so in cold areas bring a pot under cover for winter.

Soil and planting depth. Any moisture-holding soil. Keep it wet, or submerged by no more than 5 to 10cm. Still water suits it.

Water and feed. The saucer or bog should never dry out. Feed lightly in spring with a slow-release or organic fertiliser, particularly if you pick from it often.

Pruning. Trim or pick the tips regularly to keep the mat dense. Stems root wherever they touch wet soil, so lift and replant pieces to fill gaps or start new pots.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Brahmi in 100mm pots in packs of 10, 140mm pots in packs of 10 and 200mm pots in packs of 6. The small pots are the economical way to edge a pond or plant a bog bed, and the 200mm pots give instant cover in bowls. Plants arrive potted and damp, not submerged, and should go into wet soil or shallow water promptly. Rinse leaves before eating and give new plants a few weeks to grow before the first pick. Not every size is held by our growers year round, which means a size may show as on backorder now and then. If you order a backorder size, we confirm it with you before anything ships.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Water and bog plants for Australian garden ponds
• Edible plants for the home garden
• More groundcover plants
• Plants for pots

Common questions

Why is it called the memory herb?

That is its traditional name, from a long history of use as a herb in India. We sell it as a garden plant and make no health claims for it.

Can I grow Brahmi indoors?

On a bright, sunny windowsill, yes, with the pot standing in water. It grows more slowly indoors and gets leggy without good light.

Does it survive winter?

In frost-free gardens it carries on, more slowly. Frost kills the top growth, so in cold areas keep a pot in a sheltered, bright place until spring.