Bushman’s Tea – 2 Seeds

Bushman’s tea (Catha edulis) is a shrub to small deciduous tree, that has some medicinal uses. The plant is widely used to treat respiratory diseases. It can grow up to 10m tall. The stem is usually straight and slender, with a narrow crown. The bark is light grey, becoming darker. It is rough and often cracked. The leaves of this tree are opposite and are hanging. They have a leathery texture and are shiny bright green on the upper surface and paler beneath. Leaf stalks are short and pinkish in color. Creamy-white to greenish minute flowers are borne in leaf axils in spring.

In tropical Africa and Arab countries it provides the habit-forming stimulant found in the leaves. The leaves are brewed as tea or chewed for this purpose. The effects include wakefulness and hyper-excitability, and suppressed hunger.

Please note: In South Africa, this plant is regarded as a drug, since the drug cathinone, which is extracted from it, is listed in the Drug Act. It is therefor illegal to trade in the leaves or processed cathinone. However, it is not illegal to grow the plants in South Africa.

Common names: Bushman’s tea (Eng.); Boesmanstee (Afr.); umhlwazi (Zulu); iqgwaka (Xhosa); khat (Arabic)

Growing Bushman’s Tea

Indoor Sowing: Early Spring

Direct Sowing: Spring.

• The plant is drought tolerant and intolerant of severe frost.
• Prefers full sun, but will also tolerate partial sun and even shade.
• Ideal soil is loamy, free-draining soil and minimal watering. Over-watering will kill the plant off quickly.
• The ideal temperature range to grow the plant is 5–35°C.
• The seeds may be sown indoors in early spring, in trays filled with a compost and sand mixture or seeding mix.
• Plant one seed about 5mm deep and cover very lightly with the soil mixture.
• The trays should be kept moist and in a well-lit, warm area that is out of direct sunlight.
• The seeds can also be sown straight into the prepared ground in Spring.
• Use a spray bottle to water the surface of the soil  and repeat as required to keep the surface moist but not wet.
• Germination can take 6 weeks or longer.
• Re-pot into a larger pot when the roots appear at the bottom of the tray’s drainage holes.
• Seedlings are prone to damping off and root rot, so allow the soil to dry out between watering.