Photo: (c) linkie, CC BY (via iNaturalist)

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Bloukanna

Sutherlandia microphylla

Also known as Cancer bush, Kankerbos, Small-leaved cancer bush, Balloon pea, Sutherlandia

At a glance

Family

Fabaceae, the pea and legume family

Type

Perennial shrub

Parts used

Leaves, and occasionally the young stems

Size

A low, silvery shrub, roughly 40 to 100 cm tall and wide

Bloom

Bright orange-red, pea-shaped flowers from spring into early summer, followed by papery, inflated seed pods

Habitat

Arid scrubland and stony semi-desert flats of the Northern Cape and southern Namibia, South Africa

Acquisition

Grow or buy

Traditional remedies in HerbSense

Key benefits

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Traditional tonic for vitality

Historic support through illness

Traditional stress and appetite support

Time-honored bitter digestive herb

Traditional uses

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Long before it found its way into wellness shops, this small silvery shrub was a household standby for the Khoikhoi and Nama peoples of the arid Northern Cape, who reached for it during almost any serious illness, fever, or long convalescence. Its Afrikaans name, kankerbos, means cancer bush, but it was traditionally given for a whole range of wasting conditions, low appetite, and general depletion, not for cancer specifically. Traveling farmers and missionaries later adopted it too, brewing the bitter leaves into a tonic tea meant to steady the body and lift a person's spirits during hard, dry seasons. Over generations it earned a quiet reputation as the herb you kept in the cupboard for whenever someone in the household was simply not themselves.

Growing guide

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Sun

Full sun. This is a plant of open, unshaded desert flats and needs bright light to stay compact and floriferous.

Soil

Sandy, gravelly, well-drained soil is essential. It thrives in poor, lean ground and resents heavy, waterlogged clay.

Water

Very drought tolerant once established. Water lightly to establish young plants, then let the soil dry out fully between waterings.

Planting

Sow seed in spring after the last frost, or set out nursery starts with generous spacing, about 60 cm apart, so air can move freely around the silvery foliage.

Fresh to dried

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Harvest

Pick leaves and soft young stem tips in the morning, ideally just before the plant comes into full flower, when the leaves are considered at their best.

Drying

Spread the cuttings in a single layer somewhere warm, shaded, and airy, turning occasionally, until the leaves are crisp and papery, usually within a week.

Storage

Store the fully dried leaf in an airtight glass jar away from light and heat, where it will keep its potency for about a year.

Best forms

Traditionally used as dried leaf for tea, and less commonly as a tincture.

Traditional preparations

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Featured preparation

Bloukanna Bitter Tonic Tea

A traditional infusion used as a general tonic during times of low energy, stress, or recovery.

How it's made. Steep 1/2 teaspoon of the dried leaf in 250 ml of just-boiled water for 8 to 10 minutes, then strain. Traditionally taken as a single modest cup, not repeated more than once a day.

Pairs well with

✦Rooibos
✦Honeybush
✦Ginger

Substitutes

✦Astragalus
✦Echinacea

Choose it when

“For the dry, weary stretches when the body feels worn thin and needs quiet fortitude.”

Did you know?

The plant's papery, air-filled seed pods inflate like tiny lanterns as they ripen, and children in the Karoo have long popped them underfoot or used them as rattling toys, long before anyone thought to steep the leaves for tea.

Safety

Bloukanna is traditionally avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It may interact with immunosuppressant or antiretroviral medications, and isn't meant for long, uninterrupted daily use.