Zantedeschia aethiopica

Common name: Arum lily 

Family: Araceae
Origin: South Africa
Plant description: perennial herb that grows up to 1m high with elegant flowers and attractive green foliage. The white, cream flowers are trumpet-shaped. The flowers appear from August to January.
Use: as a beautiful plant  indoor and flowering ornamental for greenhouse, sunroom and outdoors. It can be planted at the edge of the pond. It is an excellent cut flower and lasts a long time in water.
Light and position: it tolerates light and shade to sunny position.
Water requirements: keep moist more especially in summer. The plant is commonly found growing in marshy areas.
Special care: prefers soil rich in humus.
Pest and disease: aphids and spider mites.

Propagation: by lifting and dividing of rhizome from November to February or from seeds.

Useful plant for dry, hot and difficult position

 

Propagating Cissampelos capensis

Dawidjies is under utilised like many other beautiful plants that we don’t often see in home gardens and retail nurseries. This plant is a bluish-green perennial climber with twining stems. It grows up to 1m tall. The leaves are ovate to heart-shaped, alternate and hairless. Hairy cream to pale green flowers are often seen from February to May, followed by small orange berries.

 

Cissampelos capensis

Scientific name: Cissampelos capensis L.f.

Family: MENISPERMACEAE

Common name: dawidjies

Plant Description 

Dawidjies is under utilised like many other beautiful plants that we don’t often see in home gardens and retail nurseries. This plant is a bluish-green perennial climber with twining stems. It grows up to 1m tall. The leaves are ovate to heart-shaped, alternate and hairless. Hairy cream to pale green flowers are often seen from February to May, followed by small orange berries.

The name Cissampelos comes from the Greek kissos = ivy and ampelos = vine referring to the scrambling, climbing habit of the species. 

C. capensis has medicinal properties; you can read more about it in a book Medicinal Plants of South Africa by Ben-Erik van Wyk et al.. It is used as a blood purifier, for boils, bladder ailments, diarrhoea, colic and cholera. 

Growing and maintenance of Cissampelos capensis

Cissampelos capensis is a slow-growing tough shrub. It is perfect for sunny, dry and windy spots in any garden. C. capensis does well in sandy soil and well-drained soil with plenty of compost. Its beautiful bluish-green foliage adds colour and texture to a garden. It can be used as groundcover or as a climber to cover an unsightly fence. 

Propagate from seeds: 

• Soak seeds in lukewarm water for 12 - 48 hours.
• Use river sand and fine bark as a sowing mix
• Sow seeds 1 cm deep. 
• Seeds must be kept moist and placed in a room with enough light until germination takes place.
• Water regularly

References

Low, A.B. 1983, Flowering Plants of the Cape Flats Nature Reserve, University of Western Cape, Bellville

Manning, J & Goldblatt, P. 1996. West Coast South African Wild Flower Guide7. Botanical Society of South Africa, Claremont.

van Wyk, B., van Outdshoorn, B. & Gericke, N. 2013. Medicinal Plants of South Africa. Briza Publications, Pretoria

Foden, W. & Potter, L. 2005. Cissampelos capensis L.f. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1. Accessed on 2021/01/04