Jamaican Dogblood Bush Tea: What It Is, When the Women Drank It and How to Brew It

Every family has that one bush that belongs to the women. You do not see it advertised. You see it in the cupboard, and you see the look on your auntie's face when you ask about it. Like you finally asked the right question.

That is dogblood bush. It grows wild on the Jamaican hillsides, picked by hand, dried slowly in the air, and handed from mother to daughter for as long as anyone remembers. No label ever carried the tradition. The women did.

So let me tell you what it is, when the women reached for it, and how to make a proper cup. And when you are ready, we will point you to a fresh batch so you can taste it for yourself.

In this article

• What is Jamaican dogblood bush?
• What did the women use it for?
• When did the women drink it?
• How do you brew it?
• How much is enough?
• What goes well with it?
• Questions people ask

What Is Jamaican Dogblood Bush?

It is Rivina humilis, a small wild shrub that grows across Jamaica. Some call it belly wort. Others say bloodberry or pigeonberry, after the bright red berries it carries. The berries are not part of the tea.

Ours is hand-picked in Jamaica, air-dried, and milled into a tea cut. That is how it comes in the pouch, ready to steep. Earthy and mild, and honey sits well with it.

What Did the Women Use Dogblood Bush For?

Dogblood bush is women's business. Traditionally used for women's reproductive and menstrual cycle wellness. That is traditional use, not a medical claim.

Mothers taught daughters, and aunts taught nieces. Women in the family included it in their own reproductive wellness practice, learned from the older women. It is knowledge that lives in kitchens, and it has outlasted every trend that came after it.

Jamaican Dog Blood Bush Tea

Hand-picked in Jamaica. Air-dried and milled to a tea cut.

$38.20 Get Your Fresh Batch

When Did the Women Drink Dogblood Bush?

Young women in the family drank it in the week before their cycle. It was just what you did. Every family keeps its own custom, so the best advice is the oldest one: ask the women in your family what they did, and start from there.

How Do You Brew Dogblood Bush the Traditional Way?

It takes about ten minutes and one mug. The tea comes milled and ready, so you steep it. No long boil.

Sit down with it. Drink it slowly, the way the women did. It is a small part of the month that belongs to her.

How Much Is Enough?

One teaspoon to two cups of water is the traditional strength, and a mug at the time of the month the women kept it for is plenty. There is not much written about dogblood bush, so go gently and let your body tell you. If anything does not sit right, stop and see your doctor.

It is not recommended in pregnancy or while breastfeeding, and if you are trying to conceive, speak to your doctor first. If you take medication, check with your pharmacist.

Jamaican Dog Blood Bush Tea

The women's bush, hand-picked in Jamaica

• ✓ Traditionally enjoyed for women's reproductive wellness
• ✓ Air-dried and milled to a tea cut
• ✓ Earthy and mild

$38.20

Shop Dog Blood Bush

What Goes Well With Dogblood Bush?

Blue vervain. Jamaicans call it the nerves bush, the one that comes out at the end of the day when the house goes quiet. It keeps good company with dogblood. Earthy, a little bitter, and made the same simple way: hot water and a cover on the cup. Brew each in its own cup. Blue vervain follows the same rule on pregnancy and breastfeeding, is not for low blood pressure, and sits best between meals if you watch your iron.

Jamaican Blue Vervain Tea

A classic Jamaican bush tea

• ✓ Air-dried and milled to a tea cut

$26.79

Shop Blue Vervain

Two Jamaican bush teas that keep good company.

Questions People Ask

Is dogblood bush the same as Rivina humilis? What else is it called?

Yes. Jamaican dogblood bush is Rivina humilis, a small wild shrub that grows across Jamaica. You will also hear it called belly wort, bloodberry and pigeonberry, after the bright red berries it carries. The berries are not part of the tea. Ours is hand-picked in Jamaica, air-dried and milled into a tea cut, ready to steep.

What is Jamaican dogblood bush used for traditionally?

Women's reproductive and menstrual cycle wellness, handed down from the older women to the younger.

When do you drink dogblood bush tea?

Young women in the family drank it in the week before their cycle. Families keep their own custom, so ask the women in yours.

How do you make dogblood bush tea?

Steep 1 teaspoon of the milled tea in 2 cups of freshly boiled water for 5 to 7 minutes, strain, and sweeten with honey if you like.

Can you add cinnamon to dogblood bush tea?

Honey is the traditional sweetener. Cinnamon in your cup for flavour is your kitchen's call.

What does dogblood bush tea taste like?

Earthy and mild.

Where can I buy dogblood bush tea?

Right here at Inspired Trading: shop Jamaican Dog Blood Bush Tea. Come and try a cup. Your fresh batch ships in 48 hours across the US and Canada.

Dogblood bush has lived in Jamaican kitchens longer than any label. The women who kept it never needed one. They had their mothers, their aunts and a pot on the back burner.

Brew it the way you were shown, or let this be the first time someone shows you. Either way, you are in good company.

So here is my invitation. Put the kettle on, measure out your teaspoon, and try a cup for yourself. If you do not have a batch in the cupboard yet, you can pick up a fresh one right here at Inspired Trading, and it will be on its way to you within 48 hours. Come and taste the tradition. Jamaica has been doing this for a very long time, and there is a seat at the table for you.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.