Hermannia hyssopifolia

This stiffly erect rounded shrub that can be as small as 300mm but also up to 2m. The new stems are purple and hairy while the older stems are reddish. The flowers have an inflated balloon-like calyx with the tips of the petals protruding and appear in dense terminal clusters. The seeds are enclosed in the “balloons” calyx which by then have taken a much more paper-like appearance.

H. hyssopifolia is one of a number of aromatic shrubby plants known as agtdaegeneesbossie,meaning eight-day healing bush, as they are supposed to cure within eight days.