Senna alata seed Cassia alata
LATIN NAME: SENNA ALATA
COMMON NAME: Candle Bush, Emperor’s Candlesticks, Ringworm Shrub
The candle bush is a bold and striking plant of the warm regions, and its great upright spikes of golden flower look exactly like candles burning on a candelabra. It grows as an erect, tropical shrub or small tree, reaching up to four metres, with bold, pinnate leaves of many large leaflets that fold up at night and during the hottest part of the day, and from late summer it bears the remarkable upright spikes of many bright yellow flowers, carried in great candelabra-like clusters at the top of the stems, followed by long, winged pods. Native to Mexico and the American tropics, it is an important medicinal plant of the region, and it has been carried around the warm world as an ornamental, where it sails through the summer heat with a glowing, golden bloom.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The candle bush has a genuine and growing place in traditional and scientific research. It is a well-known medicinal plant of the tropics, and researchers have examined its chemistry, identifying a range of bioactive compounds including the anthraquinones, which give the plant its traditional reputation and its yellow pigment, and which mean it must be used with care. Its traditional use for treating fungal skin conditions such as ringworm has been studied, along with its long history in the herbal medicine of the region, and the plant is also used in herbal soaps. Botanists study its place in the pea family and its relationships within the genus Senna, and horticulturists value it as a bold ornamental of the warm garden. For a plant of such bold bloom and such chemistry, the candle bush has a rich and growing record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
To grow the Candle Bush from seed, ecologically, the candle bush is a generous plant of the warm landscape. Its golden flowers feed bees, butterflies and other insects, and its bold leaves and pods give cover, while it is a striking member of gardens and waysides across the warm world. Economically it is an important medicinal plant of the tropics with a long history of use, prized for its treatment of fungal skin conditions and valued in herbal soaps, and it is a bold ornamental grown for its candelabra spikes of golden bloom. For a grower it is an easy and striking plant, and for a gardener it brings great candles of golden bloom; its anthraquinone compounds mean it is best enjoyed as an ornamental and studied with respect rather than used casually. To set the candle bush going, nick the hard seeds with a small file, then sow them just below the surface of warm, moist compost in a sunny position and keep them gently watered.
nick the hard seeds with a small file, then sow them just below the surface of warm, moist compost in a sunny position, and keep the young candle bushes gently watered.
LATIN NAME: Senna alata
COMMON NAME: Emperors Candlesticks, Candle Bush, Candelabra Bush, Ringworm Shrub
The candle bush is a bold and striking plant of the warm regions, and its great upright spikes of golden flower look like candles on a candelabra. It grows as an erect, tropical shrub or small tree, reaching up to four metres, with bold, pinnate leaves of many large leaflets and, from late summer, the remarkable upright spikes of many bright yellow flowers, borne in great candelabra-like clusters at the top of the stems, followed by the long, winged pods. It is an important Neotropical medicinal tree, as well as an ornamental flowering plant, and it is widely grown and naturalised in the warm regions of the world.
The candle bush belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae, in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae, and it is an important Neotropical medicinal tree as well as an ornamental flowering plant. It is also known as the emperors candlesticks, candle bush, candelabra bush, Christmas candles and ringworm shrub.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The candle bush has a genuine and growing place in both traditional and scientific research. It has been studied in chemistry and pharmacology, since it is an important medicinal plant of the tropics, and researchers have examined the chemistry of the plant, identifying a range of bioactive compounds, including the anthraquinones, and examining their potential biological activity and the traditional uses of the plant, which has made it a subject of continuing interest in natural product research, while the anthraquinone compounds mean that the plant must be used with care. The plant has also been studied in the research on traditional medicine, since it has a long history of use in the tropics, and its traditional uses have been examined. The species has also been studied in botany, since it is a member of the pea family, and its classification and its relationships have been examined, while it has also been studied as an ornamental. For a plant of such bold bloom and such chemistry, the candle bush has a rich and growing record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the candle bush is a generous plant of the warm landscape. Its golden flowers feed bees, butterflies and other insects, and its bold leaves and pods give cover, while it is a striking member of the gardens and the waysides of the warm world.
Its economic value is real. It is an important medicinal plant of the tropics, with a long history of use, and it is a bold ornamental, prized for its candelabra spikes of golden bloom, while its chemistry continues to be of interest to research, though its anthraquinone compounds mean it should be used with care. For a grower, the candle bush is an easy and striking plant, and for a gardener it brings great candles of golden bloom. The seeds are easy — nick them lightly, then sow them in a pot of warm, free-draining compost, keep them in a warm, sunny spot and water them gently, and theyll sprout within a couple of weeks, growing on into a bold, candelabra-flowered shrub.