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Lessertia frutescens

Cancer Bush - Lessertia frutescens
Cancer Bush - Lessertia frutescens
Cancer Bush - Lessertia frutescens

Common names: cancer bush, sutherlandia, balloon pea (English); umnwele, insiswa (Xhosa); umnwele (Zulu); kankerbos, blaasbossie, blaas-ertjie, eendjies, gansiekeurtjie, klappers (Afrikaans). 
Botanical name: Lessertia frutescens
Previously known as: Sutherlandia frutescens, Colutea frutescens

Lessertia frutescens, also known as sutherlandia, cancer bush, or balloon pea, is a shrublet that is both an attractive garden plant and a much-respected medicinal plant. It is fast-growing, easy to grow, and drought-tolerant, making it a great addition to any garden. It is also known for its ability to improve energy levels, elevate mood, and improve appetite, making it a useful tonic for cancer, TB, and AIDS patients. Fast-growing and adaptable, it thrives in full sun, tolerates diverse soils, and self-seeds.

Uses & Benefits: flavouring, medicine, pot plant, small garden, tea

All Plant Profiles

Nature & Cultivation

Family: Fabaceae
Type: shrub
Vegetation type:  
Flower colour: orange, red
Flowering season: Spring, Summer
Plant-animal interactions: birds
Red list status: Least Concern

Light-level: full sun
Soil type: clay, loamy, sandy, well-composted, well-drained
Soil pH: Neutral
Propagation: cuttings, seed

Use as Medicine

Safety: caution in long-term use, herb-drug interactions

Herbal traditions: Cape Herbal Medicine, Khoi & San
Plant parts used: above ground parts, leaves, roots

First-aid use: anxiety, arthritis, asthma, backache, colds & 'flu, depression, diarrhoea, fever, haemorrhoids, heartburn, indigestion, irritability, poor appetite, stress, wounds 
Medical use:  
Veterinary use:  

Plant qualities: bitter, calming, cleansing, cooling, relaxing
Plant actions: adaptogen, analgesic / anodyne, anti-HIV, anti-TB, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticonvulsant / anti-epileptic, antioxidant, antithrombotic, anxiolytic / nervine-relaxant, contraceptive, diuretic, general tonic, hypoglycaemic / anti-diabetic, immune stimulant, immunomodulator
Phytochemical constituents: GABA, alkaloids, amino acids, arginine, canavanine, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, kaempferol, pinitol, polysaccharides, quercetin, saponins, sutherlandioside, tannins, triterpene saponins

Plant preparations: balm, capsules, compress, decoction, dried, fresh, infusion - aqueous, tincture, wash

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