Apocynaceae FAMILY

Strophanthus hispidus

Edibility

1/5

Medicinal

3/5

Safety & Hazards

Although used medicinally, all parts of the plant are deadly poisonous^[1]. The juice is used as an arrow poison^[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Climber

Growth—

If pruned regularly, rooted branches will develop in a few years into a thick shrub or small tree, producing more fruits than wild plants^[2]. In areas with distinct dry and rainy seasons, the plant flowers towards the end of the dry season and the beginning of the rainy season; fruits are mature in the dry season^[2].

Propagation

Seed - Branches up to 1 metre long root quickly when they are stuck in the ground^[2]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Strophanthus+hispidus>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

[1]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
[2]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.