Bushman's tea - Athrixia phylicoides
Bushman's tea - Athrixia phylicoides

Common names: Bushman's tea, bush tea (English); icholocholo, itshelo, umthsanelo (Zulu); boesmanstee, bostee (Afrikaans). 
Botanical name: Athrixia phylicoides

Athrixia phylicoides, known as Bushman’s tea, is a shrub that has horticultural and traditional uses. Its beautiful mauve flowers and soft textured leaves make it an eye-catching garden plant. Traditionally it was used for tea, broom making and remedies for sore throats and coughs. It grows in full sun, is quite hardy, and can be propagated from cuttings.

Uses & Benefits: aromatic, medicine, tea

All Plant Profiles

Nature & Cultivation

Family: Asteraceae
Type: shrub
Vegetation type:  
Flower colour: mauve, pink
Flowering season: 
Plant-animal interactions: bees
Red list status:

Light-level: full sun
Soil type: 
Soil pH: 
Propagation: 

Use as Medicine

Safety: no safety concerns

Herbal traditions: 
Plant parts used: leaves

First-aid use:  
Medical use:  
Veterinary use:  

Plant qualities: 
Plant actions: antioxidant
Phytochemical constituents: 

Plant preparations: dried, infusion - aqueous

Related Products

Related Courses

No items found

Resources