Sutherlandia frutescens


Sutherlandia frutescens in seTswana, and insiswa in isiZulu; syn. Colutea frutescens L., Lessertia frutescens is a southern African legume once used as a traditional medicine. It is a shrub with bitter, aromatic leaves. Red-orange flowers appear in spring to mid-summer.

Cultivation

Sutherlandia frutescens is a small bush growing up to about 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 plant, hardy, fast growing and drought tolerant but short lived. Seeds germinate readily in around two to three weeks and established plants self-seed readily. 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.

Traditional uses

Despite Sutherlandia frutescens having been used by a wide variety of indigenous communities throughout South Africa, the South African Herbal Science and Medicine Institute is participating in discussion of bio-prospecting in order to be able to claim intellectual property rights concerning the use of Sutherlandia extracts.