Misty Plumes

I am currently smitten with my Nutmeg Bush, a.k.a Misty Plume Bush, or Ginger Bush, or even Musk Bush. When crushed the leaves give off a spicy scent - a little bit gingery, a little bit nutmeggy and a little bit musky. The flowers themselves don’t smell, but are magnificent plumes of tiny white - pale mauve flowers, which from a distance I guess look misty! Nutmeg bush (Tetradenia riparia) is dioecious which means there are male and female plants. You can’t really tell the difference until they flower, the male bushes are much more spectacular and profuse, whilst the females are more restrained.

Nutmeg bush flowers.

Nutmeg bush is native to Southern Africa and was originally classified under the Iboza genus which is said to be derived from the Zulu language and refers to its aromatic leaves. The species name riparia is in reference to its natural habitat along riverbanks (the riparian zone).

When it’s not in flower, the bush has pale green-grey succulent leaves, that are a little furry and slightly sticky, but have beautiful frilly edges. The bush can grow over 2 m tall, but is easily pruned to be more compact. Stuck in some damp soil or river sand, the prunings take easily too, so it’s easy to make more plants to spread around and share. Considering you need a male and female plant in order to have viable seed, it’s probably the best way to propagate them!

Paired with pink Salvia and orange Abutlion.

Nutmeg bush grows in full sun/part shade and loves well drained soil. It’s great for attracting pollinators in winter and although I haven’t actually seen that many honey bees on it (perhaps they prefer my perennial basil?), while I was taking photos I did see a million tiny waspy hoverflies (my insect identification skills need some fine tuning) all over it. Unfortunately they were way too fast to get a photo of, but they were there. Trust me, this is one popular bush!