Plant Profile
Knowltonia Vesicatoria
Common names: Blisterleaf
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Herb
Up to 1.25 m
Evergreen
Indigenous
Full Shade / Semi-Shade
Average water
Loamy Soil
Sheltered, warm position
Some Frost
Knowltonia is a southern African genus with five species from the Western Cape, two from the coast of KwaZulu-Natal and a single species widely distributed northwards from Gauteng to Tanzania. The three subspecies that are recognized are.subsp. vesicatoria, subsp. humilis and subsp. grossa.
Knowltonia vesicatoria is one of the few and best fynbos plants for the shady garden and is found growing in the shade of bushes, wooded patches, forests, kloofs and river valleys. Tough and water-wise, a mature clump of this plant with its attractive foliage, makes a striking feature under trees.
Knowltonia vesicatoria occurs widespread within the fynbos of the Cape, from the Bokkeveld Mountains near Nieuwoudtville, south to the Cape Peninsula and eastwards to Knysna, Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown. Variable and adaptable, K. vesicatoria is found from sea level to 900 m, in sandy coastal dunes and soil rich in humus.
Knowltonia vesicatoria is a popular plant for indigenous gardens, but plants are seldom available in the horticultural trade most probably because it grows so slowly. The blisterleaf has a long lifespan, with young plants producing only a few new leaves a year.
Foliage
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Knowltonia vesicatoria is distinguished from the other species by being glabrate (hairless) and by the characteristic teeth of the leaf margin.
Knowltonia vesicatoria is a perennial herb with a tuft of leathery, dark green leaves up to 1.2 m tall. The leaves are divided into three leaflets and attached with leaf stalks to the root system.
Flower
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Spring
Cream , Cream Green , Light Yellow , Yellow
For Vase
Unspecified
- Flower morphology
The pretty, small white or yellowish green flowers are borne in clusters just above the foliage, mainly in spring (Aug.-Oct.).
NOTES
Knowltonia vesicatoria subsp. grossa, a tall and robust plant from the southern Cape, is most probably the best form for gardens with its large leaves, random flowering throughout the year and adaptation to the local year-round rain.
The plants respond well to regular watering and a thick application of a compost mulch. Established plants with a strong underground rootstock will be able to survive dry period
The species name vesicatoria is from the Latin vesicare that means to raise blisters, this refers to the strong allergic reaction caused by the leaves and roots. The Afrikaans common name brandblaar also refers to the allergic skin reaction.
