Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Another Musk from Africa that came before Elon: the true Healer from Zulu

Musk Bush - Iboza riparia, Misty Plume Bush, or Ginger Bush - flowers

Musk Bush - Iboza riparia, Misty Plume Bush, or Ginger Bush - leaves

🚀 Another Musk from Africa that came before Elon: the true Healer from Zulu.

🚀 This African Musk has less hype and more goodness: it won't buy Twitter but it might cure your cough!
🚀 Musk Bush (Iboza riparia) - also called Misty Plume Bush, or Ginger Bush, is a highly aromatic shrub with a long tradition of healing use in African herbal medicine. Its soft, velvety leaves release a sweet ginger-like scent when crushed and are packed with medicinal value.
🚀 Medicinal uses

💚 Respiratory relief: The Zulu people traditionally use Iboza as an inhalant for coughs, chest congestion, and even malaria. Crushed leaves are often inhaled or made into a steam bath to clear the lungs.
💚 Natural relaxant: Often used alongside Psychotria viridis for calming effects, this plant is prized for its gentle sedative properties.
💚 Headache and digestive aid: Inhaling the fragrance can ease headaches, and teas or infusions are used to soothe stomach aches.

💚 Growth: Fast-growing (up to 3 ft/year), up to 6 ft tall, with a full, bushy habit.
💚 Leaves: Bright green, heart-shaped, covered in sticky aromatic hairs.
💚 Flowers: showy mist-like white to lilac spikes hang in beautiful, fragrant dense clusters.
💚 Fragrance: Leaves are scented like ginger with a musky twist - especially fragrant after light pruning.

🚀 Growing tips

💚 Best in full sun or partial shade
💚 Likes rich, well-drained soil and regular summer water, drought tolerant once established.
💚 Prune hard after flowering to keep it compact and boost future blooms.
💚 Grows well in pots in cold climates.