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Weekend Garden ~ Henna Plant

Scientifically known as Lawsonia Inermis, the henna plant is a flowering shrub whose leaves and flowers have immense value according to Ayurveda and Sidda medicine. Today, its popular as a dye (Mehendi aka Gorintaku in Telugu) to temporarily stain nails, hands, feet and hair.

home-made-henna-powder
Homemade Henna Powder, Gorintaku Podi

Our backyard garden boasts of a henna plant whose leaves are sun-dried and ground to a fine powder. I use the finely ground henna powder along with few other natural ingredients as a hair pack. With coolant and astringent properties, it keeps dandruff as bay and works as a good conditioner.

henna-plant henna-plant-gorintaku
Henna Plant ~ Tender Henna leaves
henna-leaves-sun-drying sun-dried-henna-leaves
Sun dried henna leaves

Botanical Name : Lawsonia Inermis, English Name : Henna, Common Name : Mehendi

Weekend Garden ~ Henna Plant Recipe

Prep time: min
Cook time: min
Main Ingredients:

Scientifically known as Lawsonia Inermis, the henna plant is a flowering shrub whose leaves and flowers have immense value according to Ayurveda and Sidda medicine. Today, its popular as a dye (Mehendi aka Gorintaku in Telugu) to temporarily stain nails, hands, feet and hair.
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By • Sep 13th, 2009 • Category: All Recipes, Home Gardening

  • http://zaiqa.net Mona

    Wow, you are lucky to have a large Mehendi plant in your backyard! I miss fresh mehendi here, mostly very old packs are sold at markets that fail to give a good color. I also love to use mehendi powder along with a few natural ingredients as a nourishing hair pack. Its been so long.

  • http://celebratinglittlethingsinlife.blogspot.com/ Supriya

    Cool article! You have covered so much of information about henna in one small article. Love your blog!

  • Anshu

    Would love to know how to prepare the hair pack. My hair has been falling badly for a few years now and I don’t know what to do :(

    Anshu, one of the reasons for hair fall could be hormonal imbalance or stress related. Get your thyroid checked and visit your doctor.

    The hair pack I use is not to color the hair but to condition it, usually I apply this pack every 8-10 days. Take 1 1/2 tbsps good quality henna pwd, 3/4 tbsp methi pwd, 1 tbsp amla pwd, 1 tbsp shikakai pwd, 1 tbsp hair oil, 1 tbsp husked urad dal pwd (optional) and combine well. Add enough curd and make a smooth paste and leave aside for 1-2 hrs. At the time of applying the hair pack, add an egg white and mix well. Apply at the roots and along the hair and leave it for 45 to 60 mts. Wash off with a mild herbal shampoo. This works as a very good hair nourishing pack.

  • Bhavani Rao

    Hi Sailu Garu,
    You are simply awesome and an allrounder, hats off to you. Thru your blog you inspire many of us to try out our culinary skills… its just great..
    Thanks a lot, One of your blog follower….Bhavani.

  • http://gaurigharpure.blogspot.com Gauri

    star fruits, tomato, brinjal.. and even mehendi! your garden is so giving.. :)

  • Annie

    Very lovely! i do have a few questions for you……Do you live in the US? Did you plant it directly in the ground, and which USDA zone is good for this plant?
    Thanks much…….I hope to have a Henna plant one day too along with Neem.

    I do not live in US, Annie. I live in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh. Yes, we planted a henna sapling a few years ago. It doesn’t need much care, you can water it lightly twice a month. It grows in most environments and dry soil suits it best.

  • sarada

    Hi Sailu:
    I love your recipes. I tried the kakarkaya karam with garlic and red chillie powder one. It turned out awesome. Dondakaya pachadi was fantastic.
    Thanks for the lovely recipes.
    What a nice Henna plant you have. You are fortunate to have that kind of fresh hair pack. I usually buy the packets at the Indian grocery stores.
    Is there any herbal remedy for thinning of hair?
    I am a subscriber of your site and I love it.
    Me too have the same question as Annie here. Do you live in the US?

    I do not live in US, Sarada. I live in Visakhapatnam.
    As I mentioned above @Anusha’s comment, that hair pack works good for hair loss. Its a tried and tested remedy. Ensure scalp is clean and dandruff free. Give it a try and do get thyroid tested too.

  • Paavani

    Hi Sailu,

    I subscribed to your website, and I get regular feeds from your site. although most of your recipes are not new to me coz I am too from Andhra. Inspite of it, I regularly read them as they look very fresh and ready to eat. :)
    The pictures which u put up attract me. Wanted to write to u since many days, this is my first mail (comment) to you. Hope to see many new pindi vantakams from u. :)

  • Bharathi

    Hi Sailu garu,

    I’ve been following your blog since about 3 years and I grew up in Vizag too. My parents are still there.

    How do you make Henna powder? Do you grind it at home? Or send it to mill?

    Break the stems off the shrub, dry the stems for 2 days and the leaves come off the stem easily. Then the leaves are further sun-dried for two days and then ground to a fine pwd in the mixer-grinder.

    Nice to meet another Vizagite. :)

  • R.Punitha

    Hi Sailu,

    i also go with your hair pack items,
    i add few fresh hibiscus flowers and
    thick tea decoction and juice of one lemon
    to that paste.
    this’ll give thick black colour to our hair.
    But adding urad dhal powder is new to me.
    Thank you Sailu. Please keep it up…

  • Bharathi

    Thanks for the response!!!

  • sumalatha

    hi sailu, you r very lucky to have such a nice garden. i too love gardening very much. as we r living in an apartment here i dont get a chance to grow plants like u. but i indulge myself in gardening whenever i go to my native which is near rjy. i do have some plant pots here. thanks a lot for ur hair pack idea.

  • Fouzia

    Hi Sailu,

    I just love your website and I really admire you for your great talent in cooking. I have been visiting your website regularly and also recommending it to all my friends & relatives here in Canada. I have been searching all cookery blogs and websites for a certain south indian recipe(I belong to Chennai, India)of a sweet savoury which was probably made during pongal time. It was called,”andharsam”. It looked like flat crispy pooris made of flour (I don’t know what kind of flour) &jaggery. If you know what I am talking about I would be so grateful to you if you post that recipe on your blog. I have been yearning to eat this from so many years.

    thanks

    Fouzia

  • Fouzia

    Hi Sailu,

    I just love your website and I really admire you for your great talent in cooking. I have been visiting your website regularly and also recommending it to all my friends & relatives here in Canada. I have been searching all cookery blogs and websites for a certain south indian recipe(I belong to Chennai, India)of a sweet savoury which was probably made during pongal time. It was called,”andharsam”. It looked like flat crispy pooris made of flour (I don’t know what kind of flour) &jaggery. If you know what I am talking about I would be so grateful to you if you post that recipe on your blog. I have been yearning to eat this from so many years.

    thanks and best regards

    Fouzia

  • Mrs Sreelatha

    Fouzia,

    “andharsam” in tamil = “ariselu” in telugu, Sailu mentioned about it in the Sankranthi festival (pongal in tamil) but not posted the recepie yet. Thats true, it will be nice to see her recepie for this yummy sweet rice-cake.

    – Mrs Sreelatha

  • jaya

    hai sailaja garu, how are you. i am jaya. mee cooking chala excellent. good.

  • priety

    Hi Sailu,

    I always refer to your website for new recipes and reference purposes, you are awesome allrounder. I have a daugther who is 10 yrs old, what do you suggest I use naturally for shampoo and conditioner as well as hair oil( if you know what our ancestors used years, i would appreciate it). I don’t what to use store brought shampoo and conditioner. Please let me know when you get a chance.Thanks

    Take care