Common Calpurnia – 10 Seeds

Common Calpurnia (Calpurnia aurea) is a multi-stemmed shrub or a small graceful slender evergreen tree 2 – 4 m tall with a light, open crown. The flowers are bright yellow, each about 2.5 cm long, in showy hanging bunches of 8 to 30 flowers. They appear irregularly throughout the year. The fruit is a thin pod drying light brown with a papery texture, 5-12 cm long and 0.8-1.9 cm wide, narrowly winged on one side, and containing up to 8 brownish seeds. It is an ideal small tree for a small suburban garden and can be grown successfully in large containers. The tree also has medicinal uses.

Common names: common calpurnia, calpurnia, wild laburnum, Natal laburnum, Cape laburnum (E); geelkeurboom, geelkeur, Natalse geelkeur (A); inDloli, umSitshana (X); umKhiphampethu, inSiphane-enkulu, umHlahlambedu, umLalandlovana (Z)

Common Calpurnia Medicinal Uses

• In South Africa, calpurnia leaves and powdered roots are used to destroy lice and to relieve itches.
• The leaves are used to treat allergic rashes, particularly those caused by caterpillars.
• In East Africa, leaf sap is used to destroy maggots in wounds.
• In Nigeria, the seeds are used to treat abscesses.
• In Ethiopia it is used to treat stomach complaints, headache, eye diseases, amoebic dysentery, scabies and as an insecticide.

Growing Common Calpurnia

Indoor Sowing: Spring.

Direct Sowing: Spring and Early Summer.

• It grows best in fertile, well-drained soil with plenty of water in summer, but is tolerant of summer drought and should withstand a climate with a winter minimum of -5 °C.
• Grow it in sun or semi-shade. Planted in full sun it will produce more flowers.
• Sow seed in spring or early summer. Soak the seeds in warm water for 24 hours before planting in a good potting mix.
• Germination takes about 10-14 days.
• Transplant after the first pair of true leaves have developed.
• Protect young plants from frost.
• Prune lightly after flowering.