Imphepho
| Helichrysum petiolare | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Helichrysum |
| Species: | H. petiolare |
| Binomial name | |
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Helichrysum petiolare |
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Helichrysum petiolare, known as silver-bush everlastingflower,licorice-plant,liquorice plant, trailing dusty miller and kooigoed, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to South Africa and introduced to Portugal and the United States of America.
It is cultivated for its foliage effect and as groundcover. This plant prefers sun to part-shade with well-drained soil, being susceptible to root rot and is hardy to zones 9-11. The foliage has a faint licorice aroma.
Numerous cultivars have been developed, of which the following have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-
Rather than a single herb, Imphepho is a number of herbs (around 250 species) from the Helichrysum genus. The Helichrysum species used as Imphepho grow abundantly in South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho but especially around coastal areas apart from the largely arid Northern Cape province. The plants grow abundantly in gardens and in the wild, for this reason most Imphepho is wild harvested and commercial cultivation in South Africa is unknown. Helichrysum species used as Imphepho are hardy and adaptable, they can grow in a wide variety of soil types, are drought resistant, wind resistant and can survive light frost. The seeds are wind dispersed. Little preference is shown for specific types of Imphepho, amongst traditional healers, local availability seems more important than a preference for a particular species. There is little evidence for medicinal properties being stronger in certain Helichrysum species and for ritual purposes they are all treated as exactly the same. For medicinal and ritual purposes, mainly the fresh, or more often dried, areal parts of the plant are used, less commonly the roots.
Its traditional common name of kooigoed translates as "bedding stuff" and it is still used to provide a soft and aromatic mattress. It is listed as a weed in the state of California.
The essential oil has been investigated for its anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. In South Africa it forms a component of traditional African medicine. The leaves and twigs are boiled and prepared as a sort of tea to soothe coughs and fever. The leaves are also applied to wounds to prevent infection, and are ceremonially burnt to produce a traditional incense.
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Wikipedia