In Pursuit of Erythroxylum coca The Divine Plant of the Incas
A little adventure story
The year was 1986, and the place was the spectacular Cordillera de Talamanca mountain range in Costa Rica. The Cordillera de Talamanca is a vast wildlife habitat with pristine mountain rivers and waterfalls that seems to extend forever. Our destination was Las Cruces Biological Station where we were to meet a Mr. Robert Wilson.
The Wilson Botanical Garden is located in a lush cloud forest, about 5 hours south of San Jose, close to the Panamanian border. Robert Wilson and his wife Catherine founded the site in 1962 as a botanical garden and farm. Their friend, the famous Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, inspired the initial design of the grounds.
Turns out the Wilsons created the most famous botanical garden in Central America with extensive collections of palms, unusual plant families, and endangered species from Costa Rica and other parts of the world. The palm collection is considered the jewel, with over 700 species. It is a true culmination of the beauty and diversity of Costa Rica. It has also become well known as a cultural hub of southern Costa Rica and draws local and international scientists, artists, conservationists, and nature lovers.
In 1973 the gardens were acquired by the Organization for Tropical Studies, a nonprofit consortium of international universities and research institutions. The OTS has since turned it into an outstanding field station and educational center stating their main mission being: to facilitate scientific research. They have an excellent, informative online presence and I suggest visiting if you are ever able, there is a lot going on there.
We had contacted Robert Wilson prior to our leaving Hawaii. Our mission after departing Maui was to travel through Central and South America in search of rare Heliconias, a once in a lifetime offer we couldn’t refuse. Heliconias are extremely prized in the tropical cut flower trade because they are very showy and long lasting, similar to the popular Bird of Paradise. Bob Wilson extended a gracious invitation to visit with him at his home in the gardens and to document the Heliconias in his collection. We were thrilled to say the least.
While there were many rewards for taking the arduous journey into the mountains to see the gardens, the ultimate prize for us was the treasure map. Treasure map? Yes, we had been gifted an invaluable treasure map showing where to look for big, leafy Erythroxylum coca bushes. The map was articulately drawn by a colleagues’ wife who had recently been there and knew where the bushes were located.
Oh yes, back to the story…
We arrived in the late afternoon after a long days journey, and the sun would be setting soon. We immediately met with Bob Wilson and were encouraged to wander about the gardens before dark. As we climbed the meandering paths, an alarm sounded out between the local workers finishing up the days work. I vividly remember being on high alert because they were warning us that the Fer-de-lance snake comes out in the evening and we had 3 of our children with us. But we had already been bitten (by the coca leaf bug) and were intent upon harvesting. This was our opportunity.
We quickly got the kids to a safe place so we could continue our ‘map quest’ before darkness fell. There was still enough light to see the steep pathway ahead so we carefully scrambled up to the spot on the map that clearly showed where the bushes were to be found.
It seemed an eternity as we searched for the specimens. We looked and looked and were just about ready to give up when we turned around and completely lost our cool. We were standing directly beneath humongous coca bushes. They were towering over us, smiling, and laden with fresh leaves. Now was our big chance! We knew from research that it was customary to strip entire bushes even 8 times per year. Seeing as we were in a pretty isolated location we doubted any leaves would be missed or that anyone would be coming to wild craft these plants. We managed to collect a large quantity of leaves and make it back down the hill safely. We now had medicine to power us through the long days of driving and collecting that lay ahead. Mission accomplished!
Freshly dried, activated coca leaves are a rare gift and we totally savored them while traveling. The fresh leaves were sun dried on the dashboard of the jeep as needed. Stopping to ask directions, unaware that green juice was dripping from our numb mouths, we must have truly been a sight (crazy gringos!) Meeting with Robert Wilson, exploring his gardens, and fueling ourselves with freshly dried coca leaves was one of the highlights of our stay in Central America.
FYI: Unadulterated coca leaves are quite stimulating and very nutritious.
Coca chewing remains a common practice in the Andean regions for its’ suppression of hunger and fatigue. Chewers attain general stimulation lasting about an hour after chewing. It is a well-defined practice that has changed little over time.
It is a simple practice. The coquero will take several dry leaves out of their coca bag, remove the midribs and place inside the mouth. These leaves are chewed and more added until a ball known as the quid is formed inside the cheek. Then a pinch of powdered lime is added to activate the alkaloids. The lime comes from crushed shells or limestone but sometimes the leaf ash from a Cecropia tree is utilized in much the same way. These activating substances are referred to as yiptia or llip ta. Even the stems of Chenopodium quinoa can be used to activate.
Yes, it is a simple practice, but some of the elaborate artifacts used are now living in museums because of their unique history and exquisite beauty. The bag that coca leaves are carried in is called a ch’uspa and the vessel that carries the alkali for activation is referred to as a poporo. In Columbia some of the poporos are made of gold and very stunning. There are also many rituals associated with coca chewing that show the deep respect indigenous people have for their coca plant.
Contrary to popular belief, chewing coca leaves is actually quite beneficial. Studies show the impressive number of health benefits including protection from cardio-vascular disease, colon cancer, and even tooth decay. Drinking coca tea is good for digestion as it soothes the stomach. Long sustaining energy, appetite suppression, numbing pain killing, and nutrition are more applications of this plant. The leaves boast ample protein and calcium and many vitamins and minerals.
Most readers know about the effectiveness for overcoming altitude sickness. I just learned that coca leaf alkaloids thin the blood to help with the fatigue and headache caused by living in high altitudes. Is that Nature at her best, or what?
Fast forward about 20 years:
After over a year of collecting Heliconia rhizomes for a Florida flower grower we returned to the U.S. and connected with tropical plant growers. To be honest, we did great work finding and collecting the flower rhizomes but our hearts were most aligned with the medicinals that we encountered in our travels. We returned with many seeds and a whole new vision for moving forward. Our worldview was shifting.
Somehow we obtained a few Erythroxylum specimens and took their care and cultivation very seriously. We knew these plants were important but they were also scheduled by the feds so we needed to be cautious. I found their cultivation difficult. My experience was very limited but I managed to keep them alive. The book will cover cultivation techniques that are not necessary here.
Upon our return we were visited by friends from Bolivia. They brought coca leaves with them to share. We were so excited and were taught coca rituals they had learned while living there. Applying the rituals to our use evoked another level of experience. We were truly blessed.
Years ago there was a plant circulating around the country amongst novice gardeners that was thought to be coca. In my opinion it looked nothing like it and was eventually found to be a Euphorbiaceae. I have no idea where this started or how it evolved, I just knew the plant was not coca.
As recently as 2021 a fellow I met at the local farmer’s market insisted he had a true Erythroxylum plant. He said he ate a leaf of the plant every day and it was healing him. I was skeptical of course and the specimen that was delivered to me was the same plant that had been circulating years ago. Some things never change.
Some Interesting Coca Facts:
In 1863 Angelo Mariani developed, and later introduced the famous Vin Mariani. It was delicious and exhilarating and quickly became the first widespread popular drink using coca leaves.
Coca-Cola was then based on Vin Mariani. The 1886 recipe included active coca leaves but in 1906, after the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act, only contained non-active leaves. Until 1904 a typical serving contained around 60 mg of cocaine. Imagine!!! To this day Coca-Cola still contains a non-active extract of coca leaves as flavoring.
“An interesting phenomenon has been observed occurring in the regions of the Andes that experience severe electrical storms. After the lightning strikes through the atmosphere, nitrogen gas is released into the atmosphere, which then falls to the earth in the forms of nitric acid. Once in the soil it is converted into nitrate, which along with other minerals gets absorbed by the roots of the coca plant. This is significant because nitrogen is an essential element in the formation of alkaloids in the plant, i.e. more cocaine is produced within those coca plants.” bioweb.uwlax.edu
FYI: I recently checked The Wilson Botanical Garden plant database. As of 2022 the Erythroxylum coca plants remain!
Viva Erythroxylum coca!