Xysmalobium undulatum

Pretty much unheard of in cultivation – this EXCEPTIONALLY RARE South African wildflower bears a striking resemblance to its close cousin, Asclepias (“Milkweed”). Spherical clusters of fuzzy cream or green colored, star-shaped flowers in late Spring or Summer make way for bright green, puffy seed pods up to 4” long and covered in curly “hairs”. Dying back to the ground with the first frost, it re-emerges in Spring with multiple erect 5’ tall stalks with dark-green, glossy, elongated, upward curving 10” long leaves with contrasty creamy yellow ribs and veins. Prized in its native range for a wide variety of medicinal and utilitarian uses from stuffing pillows with its downy-soft seed fluff to using its roots to treat tummy troubles – for which it is commercially available under the common name “Uzara”. Tolerates a wide range of soils including clay. Use extreme care when transplanting as its roots are sensitive.