July’s Wild Flower of the Month is the Lippia javanica, commonly known as Fever tea or Wild tea.

Its leaves are similar to those of Lantana rugosa (Bird’s brandy), our Wild Flower of the Month for May, in both appearance and aroma.

The plant bears very small white flowers on a spiky head, and the fruit is dry and husky. This much-branched, aromatic shrub flowers from February to May. It is quite a common species in bushveld and grassland in all four northern provinces of South Africa.

The crushed leaves emit a strong verbena-like scent. The local people brew the leaves into a tea which is taken for coughs and colds. The infusion can be strengthened by adding some Wilde-als (Artemisia afra) leaves (our Wild Flower of the Month for June).