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In the Gardens

Popcorn Bush,

Peanut Butter Cassia

Senna didymobotrya

Bloom time

All year round, mainly in spring and summer.

Characteristics

The decorative shrub grows 1,5-3 m (5-13’) tall and has upright twigs at which extremes you find sever-al racemes of golden yellow blossoms at erect stalks. The brown buds open from bot-tom to top; a part of the bud remains closed for a long time. The large, evergreen leaves are monopinnate.

Site:

The Popcorn Bush is often cultivated on Madeira; most easily you will find it in the south of the island up to an altitude of 450 m (490 yd.). You may also frequently discov-er the plant not only in the city of Funchal, but also in Caniço and in Caniço de Baixo.

Interesting to know:

The Popcorn Bush is native to tropical East Af-rica. It is often mixed up with the Candle Bush. Anyway, the latter has yellow buds; thus the en-tire inflorescence seems to be made of wax. This plant is not cultivated on Madeira. A noticeable characteristic of the Popcorn Bush is the slight-ly unpleasant smell that is exuded by the leaves or by buds when crumbling them. This smell re-minds of rancid peanut butter or old popcorn.

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