Lessertia frutescens
StarLessertia frutescens
Synonyms: Colutea grandiflora, Sutherlandia frutescens, Colutia frutescens, Colutea frutescens
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Cancer bush has a long history of use in southern African traditional medicine, particularly among Cape and Khoisan peoples, where the leaves and aerial parts are taken as a bitter, immune-supporting adaptogenic tonic. It has been used as a general tonic and for a very wide range of conditions including internal cancers, fevers, colds and influenza, stomach and digestive complaints, diabetes, liver and kidney conditions, rheumatism, stress and anxiety, and to counter wasting and poor appetite; in modern herbal practice it is widely used to support patients with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and cancer (Lessertia frutescens ethnopharmacology review, 2025). It is generally considered safe but may be mildly toxic in large or prolonged doses.
Botanical Description
Lessertia frutescens, formerly Sutherlandia frutescens and widely known as cancer bush or kankerbos, is a soft-wooded perennial shrub in the family Fabaceae, native to the dry interior and Cape regions of southern Africa. It grows to about one metre tall and bears greyish-green, pinnately compound leaves divided into many small, narrow leaflets covered in fine hairs that give the foliage a silvery cast. In spring it produces showy, bright orange-red, pea-like flowers in short axillary racemes. These are followed by its most distinctive feature, large, papery, inflated, balloon-like pods that are pale green flushed with red and rattle when dry, containing several seeds. The plant is fast-growing, drought-tolerant and short-lived, colonising disturbed and overgrazed ground, roadsides and open scrub. Its bitter-tasting leaves contain L-canavanine, pinitol, GABA and triterpenoid saponins, the compounds associated with its long-standing reputation as a medicinal plant.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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