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Aspalathus linearis
Also called Rooibos Tea, Red Bush Tea, Red Tea, Bush Tea
Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) is a broom-like shrub from South Africa's Cape fynbos whose needle-like leaves are used to make a caffeine-free herbal tea. It is grown as a crop in the Cape region and is well suited to well-drained, sunny sites with little water.
Rooibos ( ROY-boss; Afrikaans: [ˈroːibɔs] , lit. 'red bush'), or Aspalathus linearis, is a broom-like member of the plant family Fabaceae that grows in South Africa's Fynbos biome. The leaves are used to make a caffeine-free herbal infusion that has been consumed in Southern Africa for generations. Internationally since the early 2000s, rooibos became more commonly consumed, possibly due to its earthy flavour and aroma similar to those of yerba mate or tobacco.
Outside of Southern Africa, it is called bush tea, red tea, or redbush tea (predominantly in Great Britain). The name rooibos is Afrikaans deriving from rooi bos, meaning 'red bush'. The name is protected in South Africa and has protected designation of origin status in the EU.
Rooibos is commonly prepared as a tisane by steeping in hot water, in the same manner as black tea. The infusion is consumed on its own or flavoured by addition of milk, lemon, sugar or honey. It is also served as lattes, cappuccinos or iced tea.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Rooibos 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.
