Lessertia frutescens
Lessertia frutescens
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Lessertia frutescens is a plant of the warm temperate to tropical regions of southern Africa, growing mainly in semi-arid regions. It is not very cold hardy, able to tolerate short periods with temperatures falling to around -5°c, so long as it is growing in a freely draining soil and summers have been sufficiently warm to fully ripen the wood[1]. It usually grows where there is a distinct dry season, butis found inboth summer rainfall and winter rainfall regions[2]. A tough plant that does well in full sun and tolerates all soil types[2]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[1, 2]. A fast-growing, but short-lived species[2]. Plants seed themselves readily, so that as the older plants start to look past their best they can be removed[2] The fruit is a large, bladder-like, papery inflated pod and is almost transparent. It can be used in dry flower arrangements as it dries well, maintaining its colour and form[2]. The plant is quite pest resistant[2]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[2].
Propagation
Seed - sow in autumn or spring in a well-drained soil in a seedtray. Germination is improved if seeds are left to soak for about 4 hours or overnight in water hot enough for you to put your hand in. Keep the seed trays warm (not hot) and damp but not wet. Germination should occur in 2 - 3 weeks and seedlings can be transplanted as soon as they are large enough to handle[2] Cuttings of half-ripe wood in a frame[1]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Lessertia+frutescens>
Pollinators
Sunbirds
References
- [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [2]PlantZAfrica.com — http://www.plantzafrica.com ↩︎An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants.
- [3]Flora Zambesiaca — http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html ↩︎An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
- [4]Pharmaceutical monographs for 60 South African plant species — Scott, G. and Springfield, E.P. · 2004 · http://www.plantzafrica.com/medmonographs ↩︎A series of 60 monographs of S. African medicinal plants. Well written, with information on traditional uses and modern research into the plants.
- [5]CosIng — http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/ ↩︎CosIng is the European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients.