South African Herbs - Mickal Bakker 7E4 1. Buchu – agathosma betulina Buchu is a bright green bush that is very healthy for you. It has been described as a “miracle herb" for many years and is one of South Africa's biggest medical herbs. Buchu is a very old herb that has an interesting history. The Khoisan used this herb for medicinal purposes. They used to chew the leaves of the plant or make it into a oil and clean wounds, treat bruises or sprains. Nowadays we take it in our tea to treat bladder or kidney infections. 2. African Wormwood – artemisia afra The African Wormwood is a South African medicinal herb. It has soft, dark green leaves covered in white bristles. It can be used for many things such as treating malaria, headaches, intestinal worms and increasing appetite. If you heat the leaves and inhale the vapour, that can help treat a common cold, cough, sore through, influenza and even asthma! You can also drink it as a tea, but it is very bitter. 3. Aloe Ferox The Aloe Ferox is manly famous for its medical purposes and qualities. It is a spiky plant that has a hard layer of skin protecting the yellow juice. This juice can be made into a cream and used on small cuts or bruises. Aloe Ferox is indigenous to South Africa and can mostly be found in the Western and Eastern Cape. You can also drink the juice of the Aloe Ferox to help with digestion and general health. 4. Aromatic sage - salvia africana lutea This sage is a shrub with orange flowers and grows on the sandy coastal soils of the South African coast. This sage can be used medically and in cooking. It can help with colds, coughs and stomach ailments, and is also very tasty with vegetables and pastas. 5. Wild mint - mentha longifolia This wild mint is found naturally from the Western Cape all the way to Lesotho. It has long, wide leaves and lilac flowers that are grouped in long spikes. It can be consumed in tea for medical purposes especially respiratory problems and stomach cramps. It can also be used in salad as it is a lot like regular mint. This plant grows in damp as well sunny areas. References http://pza.sanbi.org/aloe-ferox http://pza.sanbi.org/ https://africageographic.com/stories/12-edible-indigenous-south-african-plants/ https://southafrica.co.za/can-african-wormwood-cure-cancer.html https://southafrica.co.za/health-benefits-buchu.html
