The Verdant HoursHerbal gathering almanac

A world of different seasons

Africa.

The opening collection connects Cape shrubs such as rooibos and buchu with tropical crops such as roselle and moringa. It does not yet represent Africa’s many local herbal traditions or floras.

48 profiles in this edition

Africa

Cape fynbos & cultivated tropical herbs

Read the season

Distinguish the Cape’s winter-rainfall habitats from summer-rainfall and equatorial regions. Use the local wet season, flowering and healthy regrowth as observation cues.

Before gathering

Favor traceable cultivated sources for commercially gathered shrubs. A broad conservation category does not mean a particular patch can sustain harvesting.

Browse this region’s plants

African baobabAdansonia digitataCulinary reference African wormwoodArtemisia afraExtra care needed BorageBorago officinalisExtra care needed Butterfly peaClitoria ternateaCulinary reference Castor beanRicinus communisToxic · do not eat ChicoryCichorium intybusCulinary reference Common chickweedStellaria mediaCulinary reference Common hawthornCrataegus monogynaExtra care needed Common juniperJuniperus communisExtra care needed Common mallowMalva sylvestrisCulinary reference Common mulleinVerbascum thapsusStudy first Common purslanePortulaca oleraceaExtra care needed Cow parsleyAnthriscus sylvestrisExtra care needed Curly dockRumex crispusExtra care needed Deadly nightshadeAtropa bella-donnaToxic · do not eat European yewTaxus baccataToxic · do not eat FennelFoeniculum vulgareExtra care needed Garlic mustardAlliaria petiolataCulinary reference GlasswortSalicornia europaeaCulinary reference Hemlock water dropwortOenanthe crocataToxic · do not eat Holy basilOcimum tenuiflorumStudy first HuacatayTagetes minutaCulinary reference JimsonweedDatura stramoniumToxic · do not eat KapokbosEriocephalus africanusStudy first Lamb's quartersChenopodium albumCulinary reference LantanaLantana camaraToxic · do not eat LemongrassCymbopogon citratusCulinary reference Lords-and-ladiesArum maculatumToxic · do not eat MoringaMoringa oleiferaCulinary reference MugwortArtemisia vulgarisStudy first OleanderNerium oleanderToxic · do not eat PennyroyalMentha pulegiumToxic · do not eat Prickly pearOpuntia ficus-indicaCulinary reference Ribwort plantainPlantago lanceolataCulinary reference RooibosAspalathus linearisCulinary reference RoselleSabdariffa gossypiifoliaCulinary reference Round-leaf buchuAgathosma betulinaStudy first Shepherd's purseCapsella bursa-pastorisCulinary reference Sour figCarpobrotus edulisCulinary reference SpekboomPortulacaria afraCulinary reference St John's wortHypericum perforatumExtra care needed Stinging nettleUrtica dioicaCulinary reference TamarindTamarindus indicaCulinary reference Three-cornered leekAllium triquetrumCulinary reference Water mintMentha aquaticaCulinary reference Water spinachIpomoea aquaticaCulinary reference Wild carrotDaucus carotaExtra care needed Wild oreganoOriganum vulgareCulinary reference

All six regions

These are editorial collections, including native, introduced and cultivated plants. They are not distribution maps or local gathering permissions. Country-level coverage, local names and specialist field review are still expanding. No Antarctic gathering collection is offered.