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Acokanthera oblongifolia
Also called Hottentot's Poison, Dune Poisonbush, Poison Arrow Plant, Wintersweet
African wintersweet is an evergreen shrub or small tree, up to about 6 m tall, with fragrant white flowers and purple berries. It is grown mainly in warm, frost-free gardens; all parts are highly poisonous, so handle with care.
Acokanthera oblongifolia (commonly known as African wintersweet, dune poison bush, Hottentot's poison, poison arrow plant or wintersweet) is a plant in the family Apocynaceae. It grows as an evergreen shrub or small tree up to 6 metres (20 ft) tall. Its fragrant flowers feature a white tinged pink corolla. The berries are purple when ripe. Its habitat is dry forest and coastal thickets. Acokanthera oblongifolia is used in local African medicinal treatments for snakebites, itches and internal worms. The plant has been used as arrow poison. The species is native to Mozambique and South Africa.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Acokanthera oblongifolia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
