Jamesbrittenia grandiflora
Author: Ivan Lätti
Photographer: Johan Wentzel
Jamesbrittenia grandiflora, or wild phlox, is a slender shrublet with aromatic leaves growing to 1,5 m in the mountainous grassland of Mpumalanga and Limpopo. The leaves are elliptic or ovate and glandular-haired with toothed margins. They are grey-green, soft-textured and aromatic, having a wrinkled appearance.
The plant is fast-growing. It has earned popularity as a garden subject, suited for sunny borders and rockeries. Cutting the plant back after flowering helps to prevent an untidy appearance (Manning, 2009; www.plantzafrica.com).