Aspalathus linearis aka Rooibos

Aspalathus linearis, or rooibos, belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae. It comes from the Cape region of South Africa. PFAF places it in the Western Cape. It grows on sandy hills and mountain slopes. Kew describes its native climate as subtropical. This shrub or subshrub reaches about 6.6 feet [2 metres]. It can fix nitrogen, a useful trait in cultivation.

PFAF lists its flowering season as July to August. Each flower has both male and female organs. The leaves and stems provide the crop for rooibos tea. Growers gather them in summer, then ferment and sun-dry them. The dried leaves make a drink that contains no caffeine. It has less tannin than tea from Camellia sinensis. This gives it a less astringent taste. People also use the leaves to flavour food and baked goods.

Give rooibos a warm spot with full sun. It does not grow in shade. PFAF recommends sandy, acidic soil with very good drainage. Its broader soil notes also allow loam and neutral soil. Plants can cope with drought and either dry or moist soil. For pot plants, keep winter soil fairly dry, but not parched. A place beside a south- or west-facing wall suits its listed garden use. Good drainage matters when choosing both pots and planting sites.

PFAF lists USDA zones 8–11, but urges caution in Britain. Plants withstand several degrees of frost in their native setting. That does not prove equal hardiness in cool, wet winters. British growers generally keep plants in pots under glass. They can move them outdoors for summer. Young plants need shelter from cold and heavy winter rain. Sow seed in late spring under glass. Cover it with about 0.4 inches [10 millimetres] of soil. Keep seedlings under glass through their first winter. Half-ripe cuttings offer another way to raise plants in early summer.

Rooibos has value as both a tea crop and a flavouring. PFAF also records traditional uses for digestive complaints and skin problems. Those reported uses do not establish it as a proven treatment. The source lists no known hazards, rather than a full safety assessment. It reports no other uses and flags no weed concern.