There’s something sacred about a hot cup of bush tea. Whether it was your granny picking mint from the front yard, your mother boiling corilla to "clean your blood" , or you now steeping herbs before your period hits. You've come to realize that isn't just a habit, but a memory and connection.
Now you’re ready to go beyond routine and understand why certain herbs work and how they can support your healing journey.
If you’re living with heavy bleeding, fibroids, endometriosis flare-ups, painful cramps, or PCOS symptoms, let me put you on to these five Caribbean herbs that have been doing womb care long before wellness became a buzzword. These herbs aren’t cure-alls, but when used intentionally and consistently, they can become trusted allies in your cycle care plan.
Let’s sip slow and get into it.
BUSH MEDICINE ACROSS THE DIASPORA.
Long before clinical trials and big pharma, women across the Black Diaspora were learning the language of plants. From West Africa to the Caribbean, to the American South, women were the primary healers in their communities as midwives, rootworkers, and herbalists, using what they had to care for the body and spirit.
As a child, I saw how bush medicine (herbal medicine) was a natural part of everyday life. It wasn’t something separate from how people lived, it was woven into the way we cooked, cared for each other, and healed. You could see it in the teas we steeped, in the soups seasoned with medicinal herbs, and in the way our mothers and grandmothers rubbed our bellies with homemade salves when we were doubled over in pain. Women knew exactly which plants to reach for.
During the slave trade, our ancestors carried these practices and rituals that have been passed down from generation to generation as a means of natural healing. Modern day research and studies continue to show how beneficial herbs are when it comes to supporting hormone balance and imrpoving menstrual cycle health. These traditions taught us how to use herbs not just for coughs or fevers, but to ease period pain, bring on late cycles, calm the womb after childbirth, and help the body rest and reset.
Here are 5 cultural herbs to add to your personal herbal apothecary.
1. Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata)
Better known as "blue vervine" in St. Vincent, this plant has long been respected as a calming, grounding herb across the Caribbean and African diaspora. Traditionally used to ease anxiety and nervous tension, it’s known to relax the muscles (including the uterus) making it a natural go-to for menstrual cramps and PMS irritability. It's also known to stimulate the production of breast milk in pregnant women, soothe baby gripe and can in some instances temper the effects of menopause.
Blue vervain is called a nervine, meaning it supports the nervous system, which is often overstimulated during the luteal and menstrual phases. Women with endometriosis, fibroids, or painful periods may find relief from its gentle antispasmodic properties. It also acts as a mild sedative, helping you sleep deeper when insomnia shows up around your period.
Steep the dried leaves for 10–15 minutes and sip it warm before bed during your luteal and menstrual phases.
2. Guinea Pepper Leaf / Guinea Hen Weed (Petiveria alliacea)
For: Heavy bleeding, fibroids, endometriosis, immune support
Known across the Caribbean as gully root, this herb carries the kind of folklore that demands respect. It’s said to ward off evil spirits, cleanse the womb, and remove “bad blood.” Used by Indigenous peoples and enslaved Africans for everything from immune defense to womb cleansing, guinea hen weed is one of the Caribbean’s most powerful bush medicines.
Its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties have earned it growing recognition in herbal medicine for fibroids and endometriosis. I remember a story where an aunt of mine attested to passing a mass that looked like a fibroid after routinely drinking guinea pepper tea. Traditionally, it’s been used to regulate menstruation and relieve pain. Some Caribbean midwives even used it in postnatal care to help the womb cleanse itself.
Due to its strength, guinea hen weed should be used in moderation. Avoid it during pregnancy or when trying to conceive.
3. Mint (Mentha spp.)
For: Bloating, nausea, digestion, hormonal headaches
Let's not front, mint is that girl! She’s the herb most of us have in our kitchen garden, pantry or in our fridge. In Caribbean homes, mint tea is a "cure-all" that's brewed for everything from bellyaches to headaches. But finding out that it also helps ease hormonal symptoms made me fall in love with it even more.
Mint is cooling and carminative, meaning it soothes the digestive tract and can relieve bloating, gas, and cramps that often come with your cycle. For women with PCOS, spearmint (a specific variety of mint) may help reduce androgen levels, which can support hormone balance and reduce symptoms like acne or unwanted hair growth.
Try steeping fresh mint leaves with ginger for a refreshing, hormone-friendly tea during your follicular and ovulatory phases.
4. Corilla / Cerasee / Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia)
For: Blood sugar balance, inflammation, detoxification
Corilla is one of the most infamous bush teas in the Caribbean. Known as cerasee in Jamaica, “Coolie pumpkin” in St. Vincent, and bitter melon elsewhere, it’s often used as a blood purifier. Its bitterness is said to cleanse the system, remove toxins, and reset the body. As a child growing up, this was one of the teas we would drink at the beginning of a new school term to "wash out" or reset your body and boost immunity. Back in the day, some elders claim to have used the vines and leaves to bathe with in place of soap.
Science is beginning to confirm what our elders already knew. Corilla helps regulate blood sugar levels, which is crucial for hormone balance. Insulin resistance is a common driver of PCOS, fibroids, and even PMS symptoms, so stabilizing your blood sugar is key. Bitter melon also supports liver detox, allowing your body to properly eliminate excess estrogen.
Corilla tea is strong, so don’t overdo it. Drink 2–3 times a week, especially leading up to your period, to support hormone detox pathways naturally.
5. Chadon Beni / Shadow Benny / Culantro (Eryngium foetidum)
For: Iron replenishment, digestion, inflammation
While most people know chadon beni as the bold, earthy seasoning in their Sunday stews, this herb is also deeply medicinal. Rich in iron, calcium, and vitamin A, chadon beni has been used in bush medicine to treat fevers, cleanse the blood, and aid digestion.
For women with heavy periods, fibroids, or anemia, chadon beni may help rebuild iron levels while also reducing inflammation in the gut and womb. In some traditions, it’s steeped as tea or blended into tonics to “build back” the body after heavy bleeding.
Add a few leaves to your teas post-period to support recovery and boost your nutrient levels naturally.
As you can see these herbs aren’t just old remedies, they’re part of our story. These healing rituals have been passed down through generations of women who didn’t have fancy clinics or access to doctors, but knew how to tune into the body and care for it with what the earth provided.
Every woman’s body is different, so there’s no one-size-fits-all fix. But adding these herbs into your routine can be a simple, grounding way to reconnect with your body, your culture, and your healing.
If you’re living with fibroids, PCOS, or painful periods and want more natural, culturally-rooted ways to feel better, this is your sign. Start with one. Brew it with intention and listen to how your body responds.
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