Common Name: Ginger Bush

General Information

Ginger bush is a tall shrub with sticky, aromatic foliage, growing up to 3 metres tall with occasional specimens reaching 5 metre[].
The plant is a popular traditional medicine throughout its range. It is also grown as an ornamental, being valued especially for its flowers[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern Africa - Angola to Mozambique, south to S. Africa.

Habitat

Along river banks, forest margins, dry wooded valleys and hillsides in areas where there is little frost[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Usually prefers a sunny position, but in very hot areas grows better with some shade[]. It grows easily in light, well drained and well composted soil[].
A fairly fast-growing plant, able to increase height by 80cm a year and flowering in its first year from seed[].
Plants respond well to trimming - they are best cut back hard after flowering in order to keep the plant neat and floriferous[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if seed is required[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The leaves and young stems of ginger bush are a commonly used traditional medicine throughout the plant's range[]. They are valued as an antiseptic, and are used as a treatment for coughs; respiratory problems; stomach ache; diarrhoea; dropsy; angina pectoris; fever; malaria and dengue fever; yaws; headache; and toothache[].

An infusion of the leaves and roots is used as an emetic[].

Inhaling the scent of the crushed leaves apparently relieves headaches[].

The plant contains a number of medicinally active compounds including diterpenes; an essential oil (1.9%) of which the main components are: α-terpineol (22.6%), fenchone (13.6%), β-fenchyl alcohol (10.7%), β-caryophyllene (7.9%) and perillyl alcohol (6.0%); and phytosterols[].
Moderate antimalarial activity of the leaf essential oil against two strains of Plasmodium falciparum has been reported[].
A diterpene has been shown to possess papaverine-like antispasmodic activity[].
Leaf extracts (80% ethanol), tested for antimicrobial and antiviral activity, inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Microsporum canis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Bacillus subtilis[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cuttings are easy to root - even large branches can be used[].

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