Medicinal Plant: Bulbine frutescens (burn jelly plant)

Bulbine frutescens (burn jelly plant)
Medicinal Plant from the Healing Plant Collective

This is another great medicinal plant whereby the leaf sap is used, along with its brothers B. asphodeloides, B. alooides, B. natalensis and B. narcissifolia. The leaves and its sap are used to treat wounds, burns, cracked lips, itches, rashes, ringworm and even herpes. The roots are believed to prevent and treat madness. 

Additionally to the healing of wounds, the leaf sap contains chrysolphanol, which has antibacterial properties, and knipholone, which is antiplasmodial (inhibiting the growth of plasmodium, a genus of parasitic protists - infection by these organisms is known as malaria). 

Bulbine frutescens is found all over South Africa and is a popular garden plant. It is easily distinguished by its hairy stamen. Flowers are yellow, but in the popular garden variety are orange. Its finger-like succulent leaves are bright green or even yellow. These plants are often referred to as 'Bulbinella', which is incorrect (although Bulbinella is a plant, it is non-succulent with yellow or white flowers which do not have hairs on their stamen).

Photographs by David Gwynne-Evans

Healing Plants Collective - click here to learn and share in the wonders of medicinal & useful plants!

"As a human race we have always used plants. Mother Nature supplies a wonderful abundance of medicinal, healing and useful plants. Let's learn together! 

Tradition peoples still make use of these healing plants. The Healing Plants Collective aims to learn and share this knowledge. Through respect, sensitivity and openness we can learn how to work with nature. 

It is an honour to be healed by plants."