Hermannia saccifera (Turcz.) K. Schum.
cumin hermannia · komynbossie (Afr.)
Compact, low sprawling shrublet covered in hanging yellow bells in spring.
What’s in the name: Hermannia: honours Paul Hermann, a 17th-century Dutch botanist who visited the Cape; saccifera: "bearing pouches".
“ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin”
— Matthew 23:23 (KJV), The King James Version of the Bible (Project Gutenberg)
Available from AVNPlants: see the availability list.
Family
Malvaceae
Conservation status
Least Concern, SANBI Red List of South African Plants
Natural distribution & habitat
Southern coast, on stony clay hillsides, Riviersonderend Mountains and Bredasdorp east to Uitenhage.
Size & form
Sprawling shrublet to about 40 cm in the wild; in gardens usually a compact mat about 10 cm high.
Flowering
August to October: bright yellow, nodding bells, usually in pairs.
Uses in landscaping
- Sunny slopes and rockeries
- Waterwise in the Western Cape (weekly summer water keeps it looking good)
- Wind-tolerant
Care notes
Sun, and acid to neutral, sandy, well-drained loam. Frost-sensitive. No serious pests; trim to shape. Seed-grown plants establish better than cuttings; sow late summer to autumn or in spring.
Wildlife value
Popular with bees.
Find out more
Facts checked against: SANBI PlantZAfrica species page 'Hermannia saccifera'; SANBI Red List of South African Plants, Hermannia saccifera (Turcz.) K.Schum. (assessment 2005/06/30).