Bitter leaf

Vernonia amygdalina

Leaves washed and squeezed to tame the bitterness, then cooked into ndolé and onugbu soup; a hedge that keeps on cropping.

Type: shrub · perennial vegetables, greens and herbs
Hardiness: zones 10 to 12
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 12 ft tall, 8 ft wide
Harvest: year-round
From: Tropical Africa
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.

Good for: food, pollinators, traditional use.

Native to: West & Central African forests, African savannas & tropics. Hardy in zones 10 to 12.

The story

Bitter leaf is planted by back doors all over tropical Africa. Cooks wash and squeeze the leaves to tame the bitterness before they go into Cameroonian ndolé and Igbo onugbu soup, and the plant is also a well-known household herb.

Planting

Full sun or light shade, almost any soil. Grows easily from stem cuttings pushed into moist ground.

Growing

Cut it back often and it bushes out; a row makes a productive hedge. Very little pest trouble.

Harvest and use

Harvest young leaves year-round; wash, squeeze and rinse them, then cook.

What to watch for

Very bitter raw. As with any herb, ask a doctor before using it as medicine, especially when pregnant.

Safety

Medicinal uses here are shared as history, not advice. Kitchen amounts are fine for most people, but teas, tinctures and supplements can interact with medicines and aren't safe for everyone, especially in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, for children, or with liver or kidney problems. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking any plant as medicine.

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More perennial vegetables, greens and herbs

General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home