Sagan Dayla (Sagan Dalya): The Siberian Rhododendron Tea, Its Taste, Uses and Risks

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First published April 2023. Updated October 15, 2026: buying options rechecked, recent research added, and a note on checking where your Sagan Dayla comes from.

Sagan Dayla, also spelled Sagan Dalya, is a herbal tea made from the leaves of Rhododendron adamsii, a small shrub from the mountains of Eastern Siberia and Mongolia. In Buryat and Mongolian tradition it is drunk as a tonic and stimulant. It tastes floral, resinous and slightly bitter, and it is brewed weak, one or two small shoots per cup, because the plant belongs to a family that contains grayanotoxins.

Other names are Sagaan Dali, “white wing” and саган-дайля in Russian. Its botanical name is Rhododendron adamsii. It grows wild high in the mountains of Central and Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East: the Sayan Mountains, the Barguzin ridge near Lake Baikal, Yakutia, and across the border in Mongolia. In Buryatia it belongs to the folk medicine of shamans and healers, and in Russia today it is sold as an energizing herbal tea, a small corner of Russian tea culture.

Then and now · 2023 → 2026

What I wrote in 2023, and what holds up in 2026

This article first ran in April 2023. Here is what changed when I went back to the sources.

Timeline

1. 2021First large study of the leaves: 171 compounds, longer swimming endurance in mice
2. APR 2023This article is published; Sagan Dayla almost impossible to find on Amazon
3. OCT 2026Article corrected and rechecked: three sellers, from $15.95 for 50 g

The corrections

2023Native to Central Asia

→

2026Eastern Siberia, the Russian Far East and Mongolia

2023Caution: contains thujone

→

2026Caution: rhododendrons can contain grayanotoxins

2023Steep longer for more benefits

→

20261–2 small shoots per cup, 5–10 minutes

2023“Many health benefits”

→

2026Traditional use; lab and mouse studies only

Sources: Olennikov et al., Antioxidants (2021); seller listings checked October 15, 2026.

What is Sagan Dayla used for?

Sagan Dayla is traditionally drunk as a tonic and stimulant, much like ginseng or rhodiola, and folk medicine also uses it for digestion, colds, fever and menstrual cramps. The leaves are rich in tannins and flavonoids such as quercetin, rutin and myricetin, which give the tea its astringency and act as antioxidants.

The research is still early. A 2021 study by Olennikov and colleagues, published in Antioxidants, identified 171 compounds in the leaves and found that an extract made mice swim longer before exhaustion, with effects the authors compared to rhodiola. They called the plant a probable adaptogen. That is a lab and mouse result: there are still no human trials, so the benefits remain traditional use rather than proven medicine.

What does Sagan Dayla taste like?

Once brewed, the tea has a distinctive aroma and earthy flavor that is both refreshing and calming. It has a slightly bitter taste, which can be enhanced by adding honey or lemon. Personally I drink it without sweetener. This unique taste is often described as slightly bitter, floral, sweet and even coniferous. The flavor can vary depending on the preparation method and source of the tea. I have two different ones and they have more or less subtleties. Overall, Sagan Dayla has a delicate flavor that is refreshing, it is an acquired taste though. I love its unique and exotic flavor, my husband on the other hand, doesn’t find it enjoyable.🥲

How do you brew Sagan Dayla?

To prepare Sagan Dayla tea, the dried leaves are steeped in hot water for several minutes. Sellers in Buryatia suggest one or two small shoots per 200 ml cup, steeped 5 to 10 minutes. The longer the leaves steep, the stronger and more bitter the tea. I find it very hard to drink when it steeped a long time as the bitterness is prevalent.

Is Sagan Dayla safe to drink?

Sagan Dayla is a rhododendron, and plants in this family can contain grayanotoxins, compounds that in larger amounts cause dizziness, a drop in blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat. Grayanotoxins dissolve in water, so they can end up in the cup. Keep the dose small: sellers in Buryatia suggest one or two small shoots per 200 ml cup, steeped 5 to 10 minutes and drunk in the morning. Avoid it if you are pregnant or nursing, and speak to a doctor first if you have a heart condition or blood pressure problems. There are no human clinical trials on this tea.

Where can you buy Sagan Dayla?

Supply is small and most of it comes from Russia, so it is hard to find in North America and many specialty tea shops don’t list it at all. These are the options I found when I checked again in October 2026:

• Amazon: Rhododendron adamsii by Siberian Treasure, 50 g for $15.95, shipped by Amazon in the US. The easiest option if you live in the US.
• Etsy: Sagan Dalya tea from KingdomOfNature, from about $26 for 20 g, shipped from Ukraine. The listing says the leaves were wild-harvested near the Carpathian Mountains, but Rhododendron adamsii grows wild in Siberia, Mongolia and the Russian Far East, not the Carpathians, so ask the seller to confirm the species before you buy.
• Ecotisane: Sagan Dalya from the Okinsky district of Buryatia, sent by international post from Russia. Delivery can be slow.

Whichever you choose, check that the label names Rhododendron adamsii. Other rhododendrons look similar when dried, and some contain more grayanotoxins.

I was fortunate: a friend gifted me a large sample (now running out 😆). She was the one who made me try it for the first time. She lives in Germany and got hers from a friend with contacts in Russia. Word of mouth is so powerful! 😅

The bottom line

Sagan Dayla is a rare, resinous, slightly bitter mountain tea with a long history as a Siberian tonic. Brew it weak, drink it in the morning, skip it if you are pregnant or have heart or blood pressure problems, and buy from a seller who can tell you exactly what is in the bag.

Frequently asked questions

More reading

• Sagan Dalya Tea, a New “Old” Probable Adaptogenic Drug (Antioxidants, 2021)
• Useful Temperate Plants Database (Rhododendron adamsii)

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