Bushman Poison Bulb

When meandering through the extensive road network or game paths on the Welgevonden Game Reserve, you’ll come across many beautiful and interesting plants, flowers, and trees, each with its own unique characteristics.

One of the most intriguing, however, has to be the bushman’s poison bulb. Often, guests stumble upon this strange-looking plant and ask about it, as it indeed stands out from the rest. With its unique fan-like leaf structure sticking out from the bulb about a foot high off the ground, it almost resembles a traditional headdress or peacock feathers. From July to October, it also produces a bright red to yellow flower in a ball-like structure that is pollinated by bees and other insects.

Boophone disticha: The Deadly Beauty

Its Latin name, Boophone disticha, comes from the Greek words ‘bous’ meaning ox and ‘phane’ meaning death—a fitting name, as this plant is extremely poisonous. Another common name for this plant is the sore-eye flower, as being exposed to the flowers in a confined space can cause sore eyes or a headache. Despite its toxicity, traditional healers, or sangomas, have used it for medicinal purposes. The dry outer layer of the bulb was used to treat boils and abscesses, while the fresh leaves were used to treat bleeding lesions. Traditional people feared this plant, and only the sangomas in the tribe handled its poison. The bushmen, however, used the toxin to make poison-tipped arrows, which could bring down large game like Eland with a single shot.

A Plant with Spiritual Significance

The bushman also viewed this plant as a ‘gateway to the afterlife,’ often placing it upon the graves of their fellow tribesmen. Sangomas used it to induce visions of the ancestors and to expel bad spirits by having a person ingest the bulb and stare at a blank surface. Once visions of the ancestors appeared, the sangoma would induce the person to purge the toxic bulb, thus ‘purging the bad spirits.’

So, next time you visit Mhondoro Safari Lodge and Villa, be sure to keep an eye out for this fascinating plant!