Flor de Manita: The Hand Flower and How It Is Brewed

By Suhail Rivera, JD, founder of Alkaline Herb Shop

Flor de manita is a dried red flower from a tree most people have never seen, and the shape is the whole reason anyone remembers the name. This guide covers what the tree is, why the flower looks like a small hand, what the dried pieces look like in the bag, how the tea is actually brewed, what it tastes like, and what to call it if you are searching in English.

The hand flower tree

Flor de manita comes from Chiranthodendron pentadactylon, a tree native to the cloud forest highlands of Mexico and Guatemala, sometimes called the hand flower tree for exactly the reason you would guess. Each bloom opens into five curling, claw-like red structures that fan out like fingers from a palm, a shape formed by the flower's fused stamens rather than by anything unusual about the petals. It is one of the more striking flowers in the plant world, and the tree itself is uncommon enough that it has long been planted near temples and town squares in parts of Mexico rather than left to grow wild.

What the dried flower looks like

What arrives in the bag is not a whole intact flower but broken, curled pieces, dark red to reddish brown, the dried remains of those finger-like structures. They keep a leathery, slightly ridged texture, and the color deepens as they dry, the same way a fresh hibiscus flower looks nothing like the dried one. Ours ships from Honduras, 4 oz to a bag, sold whole rather than powdered so you can see what you are steeping.

How to make flor de manita tea

Add 2 to 3 chunks of dried flor de manita to 8 fl oz of freshly boiled water. Cover the cup and let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes, then strain out the pieces. Covering matters here the same way it does with any dried flower tea, since a good amount of aroma leaves with the steam if the cup sits open. The flowers are sturdy enough to hold up to the full steep time without turning bitter, which is not true of every dried flower.

What does flor de manita taste like?

Subtle and lightly smoky, closer to a mild woodsmoke note than to anything sweet or floral. It is a gentle cup rather than a strong one, and people who expect something dramatic from a flower this striking looking are often surprised by how quiet the flavor actually is. Honey works well with it, and a short second steep of the same pieces comes out even softer.

Flor de manita in English

The closest thing to a settled English name is devil's hand flower, and you will also see monkey's hand tree used for the tree itself. Neither name is used casually the way mullein or sarsaparilla are, so most English language searches and most English speaking herb sellers still use the Spanish name, flor de manita. In Spanish it also goes by mano de leon, lion's hand, and occasionally manita de mono, monkey's little hand. If you are trying to find it in English, flor de manita is still the word to search.

What flor de manita is used for

It has a real place in traditional Mexican and Central American herbal practice, and that history is not in dispute. What we will not do is turn a tradition into a promise. Knowing how a plant has been used for generations tells you about the culture that used it, not about what the plant does, and the research on flor de manita in people is thin. So we are not going to tell you it treats, calms, regulates or supports anything. We sell it as what it is: a dried flower, sold as a food, for making tea.

Where to get flor de manita

We sell Flor de Manita, 4 oz, one ingredient and nothing added, for tea. It keeps well sealed in a dry place away from light. There is a full brewing walkthrough at how to make flor de manita tea, and if you are wondering how it compares to the more familiar red flower tea, we put it head to head in flor de manita vs hibiscus.

Who should ask first

• Anyone pregnant or nursing should talk to a doctor before drinking flor de manita.
• Anyone under 18 or managing a health condition should ask a doctor or pharmacist first.
• Anyone taking medication should check with a doctor or pharmacist before adding a new herbal tea to a regular routine.

Suhail Rivera, JD, is the founder of Alkaline Herb Shop. She has spent years sourcing, handling, and selling the herbs she writes about, working directly with growers and third party testing labs. She holds a Juris Doctor. She is not a medical professional, and her articles are for general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting any herb, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition. Read more about her and the store on the About page.