Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

Common name: Watersalie, Misty Plume Bush, Musk Bush, Ginger Bush, ibozane, iboza

Family: Lamiaceae (Mint)

Synonym: Iboza riparia

Distribution: Southern Africa

IUCN Red list: Least concern

Life form: Deciduous shrub/sub-shrub

Comments: Lighting up the winter months with its mass of small lilac flowers this shrub from southern Africa is a showstopper in the Middle Garden. Like other members of the mint family (Lamiaceae), it has aromatic leaves with a velvety texture. Extracts of the plant have been used traditionally to treat headaches, chest complaints, stomach ache and even malaria. Researchers have shown that plant extracts do inhibit certain bacteria. Plants benefit from a hard prune after flowering.