Damiana is a small shrub like plant that can be found as an ingredient in many herbal teas and smoke blends. Said to induce mellow vibes and enhance libido, this plant’s leaves are commonly available in online herb retailers. Extremely simple to find and purchase.
The plant is a different matter. If you search “Damiana plant for sale” you will find something being called Damiana, but is it really the plant you’re looking for?
False Damiana: Turnera Ulmifolia
The most common plant being sold as Damiana is Turnera Ulmifolia. However, this species is not the plant known as Damiana. That honor goes to the species Turnera Diffusa.
True Damiana: Turnera Diffusa
Turnera Diffusa, the true Damiana, has much smaller leaves (approx 1 cm vs approx 2 inches) and flowers. The stems of Damiana are woody whereas Ulmifolia has herbaceous stems.
Once you see how different these two plants actually look, it is extremely simple to tell them apart. We are unsure why Ulmifolia is often substituted for Diffusa on rare plant vendor websites, but hopefully now you can weed out the impostor plants and find what you’re looking for.
Turnera Ulmifolia is a beautiful plant that you may be interested in growing, but if you think you’re buying a true Damiana, you’ll be dissatisfied with Ulmifolia.
Transplant Garden -- Rare and Curious Plants 
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