Braamfontein Spruit Ecological Corridor

Cancer Bush

Lessertia frutescens

© By Christian Hummert (Ixitixel) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6600896 (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Sutherlandia_frutescens_1.jpg) (None)

Description - from Wikipedia

Lessertia frutescens (syn. Sutherlandia frutescens (L.) R.Br.; Colutea frutescens L.) is a southern African legume in the family Fabaceae. It is also known as cancer bush, balloon pea, Cape bladder pea, sutherlandia; and phetola ("it changes") in seTswana, and insiswa ("the one that drives away the darkness") in isiZulu. It is a shrub with bitter, aromatic leaves, with red-orange flowers appearing in spring to mid-summer. These are followed by inflated, air-filled pods containing the seeds.

Description
Lessertia frutescens is a small bush growing up to about 1 m (39 in) high. It is native to dry parts of southern Africa, preferring full sun but tolerant of a wide variety of soil types. It is a tough, hardy, fast growing and drought tolerant but short lived plant. Seeds germinate readily in around two to three weeks and established plants self-seed readily.

Cultivation
Seedlings may be vulnerable to damping off, but provided it is in well-drained soil, it grows readily and is not very vulnerable to pests.


== References ==

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Species Characteristics

Wildlife supported

Birds Birds
Butterflies Butterflies
Sunbirds Sunbirds

Tolerances & suitability

Drought-resistant Drought-resistant
Good potplant Good potplant

Growth features

Easy to grow Easy to grow

Social features

Attractive Attractive
Medicinal Medicinal

Aspect

Sun Sun

Plant types

Shrub Shrub

Succession

Pioneer species Pioneer species

Spatial classification

Flowering Period
  • Orange
  • Red
Feb Sep Oct Nov Dec

Nursery availability

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