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Trichodesma spp.
camel bush
Overview
Trichodesma spp. is a genus of about forty bristly herbs and small shrubs in the borage family, Boraginaceae, spread across the warmer parts of Africa, Asia, and Australia. Plants are clothed in stiff, rough hairs and bear narrow to oval leaves on branching stems, ranging from low annuals to woody-based perennials 1-5 feet (0.3-1.5 m) tall. The nodding flowers have five petals fused into a short tube that opens into a star, each lobe drawn out to a slender twisted point, and the dark anthers project in a twisted central cone. Colours are usually blue, pale violet, or white. T. zeylanicum, known as camel bush or cattle bush, is a common species of open ground and roadsides across Australia and Africa. Several species spring up after seasonal rain and behave as weeds in grazing land. Like other members of the borage family, the foliage contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that can damage the liver of livestock that eat large amounts. The genus is drought-tolerant and frost-tender, holding through dry spells and dying back in cold.
Native Range
Native to the Old World tropics and subtropics, across much of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, through India and South-East Asia, to northern and inland Australia, in open woodland, grassland, and disturbed ground.Suggested Uses
Grown in dry-climate, native, and gravel gardens within frost-free areas, where its drought tolerance suits low-water plantings. Some species are used in traditional medicine and as rough grazing in their native range.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 5'
Width/Spread1' - 3'
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
blue, violet, or whiteFoliage Description
grey-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight