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Botanical illustration of Search Mi Heart
MedicinalSourced entry

Search Mi Heart

Rhytidophyllum tomentosum

A Jamaican plant whose dried leaves are made into a bush tea, traditionally used for colds and flu, the heart, breathing problems and digestion. It hasn't been studied in research.

Safety at a glance

  • PregnancyNothing recorded
  • BreastfeedingNothing recorded
  • MedicinesNothing recorded
  • Who should avoid it1 note →
  • AllergiesNothing recorded
  • ToxicityNothing recorded

Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.

What is Search Mi Heart?

Plant family
Gesneriaceae, the gesneriad family, which includes African violets
Parts used
The leaves, mostly dried, made into a tea
Where it grows
Native to the Caribbean and South America; first described from riverbanks in Jamaica
Genus
Rhytidophyllum
Species
tomentosum

Also called

Search My Heart, Search Me Heart

Regional names

Search-me-heart, Heart Bush, Heart Leaf

Older scientific names

Gesneria tomentosa

Traditionally used for

  • Colds
  • Flu
  • Heart (traditional)
  • Blood pressure (traditional)
  • Asthma
  • Chest congestion
  • Indigestion
  • Bush tea

Traditionally described as

  • Folk remedy (not studied)

Health topics

Where Search Mi Heart appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.

Traditions that use it

How it's prepared

Common ways Search Mi Heart is prepared or sold. This isn't advice on how to take it; see Safety below.

  • Tea / Infusion

    1 to 2 teaspoons of dried leaves are brewed in a cup of water, left to steep for about 10 minutes, and sweetened as desired.[1]Study

Safety

Who should avoid it

  • No research has tested its safety. A Jamaican herb seller advises talking to a doctor before using it if you:

    • Are pregnant or breastfeeding
    • Have heart disease or high blood pressure
    • Take heart or blood pressure medicines
    [2]General reference

What does the research say?

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

  • In Jamaica, search-mi-heart tea is an anecdotal remedy for colds and flu. 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried leaves are brewed in a cup of water, left to steep for about 10 minutes, and sweetened as desired. A 2021 review of Jamaican medicinal plants listed no research testing this use.[1]Study

  • Listed by the Natural History Museum of Jamaica under the common name search-me-heart.[3]General reference

  • A Jamaican herb seller's website says search mi heart has been used for centuries in Jamaican folk medicine, including by the Maroons. It says many Jamaican adults remember being given the tea as children for colds.

    The site lists these traditional uses:

    • The heart: steadying the heartbeat and improving circulation
    • Breathing problems: asthma, bronchitis and chest congestion
    • High blood pressure
    • Indigestion, bloating and stomach discomfort
    • Energy and stamina

    The site doesn't cite any research for these uses.[2]General reference

  • The same site describes steeping 1 to 2 dried leaves in 2 cups of boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes, or 15 to 20 minutes for a stronger tea. Honey, ginger or lime may be added. It also mentions herbal baths, tinctures and compresses made from the plant.[2]General reference

In short

Its safety hasn't been studied; check with a doctor first if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or have heart disease or high blood pressure.

Sources

  1. [1] Antiviral Activity of Jamaican Medicinal Plants and Isolated Bioactive Compounds — Molecules · DOI: 10.3390/molecules26030607Peer-reviewed study
  2. [2] Search Mi Heart Tea — Herbhearts (Westmoreland, Jamaica)General reference
  3. [3] Common Name Database — Natural History Museum of Jamaica, Institute of JamaicaGeneral reference

This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.