Travellers joy

Traveller's Joy (Clematis brachiata) inhabit scrub and open woodland as well as grassland. They produce large numbers of sweet-scented creamy flowers with a bunch of yellow stamens in the centre. The foliage of this plant is a soft green colour. Their habitat range extends from Luderitz across the country to Windhoek and into the northern regions of the Kalahari Desert and the Zambezi Region (formerly the Caprivi Strip).

A variety of traditional remedies can be prepared from this plant including colds, snakebites and intestinal worms. A nice cup of Traveller’s Joy tea is believed to help sooth headaches. Flowering time is in the summer months although colours and times can vary. They attract insects and butterflies and need plenty of sunshine and moderate watering.