Xhosa Dream Root - Silene capensis Seeds - Indigenous Ethnobotanical Perennial, NEW

Silene is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae. Silene species attract butterflies to the garden and are used as food plants by the larvae of many lepidopterans. Silene is the feminine form of Silenus, a Greek woodland deity. If the related genera Lychnis, Melandrium and Viscaria are included in Silene, it contains about 700 species. They are found in many areas, mostly in the Northern hemisphere. Divisions of the genus into subgenera or sections prior to 2003 do not seem to be well-supported by molecular evidence.

Silene capensis for which Silene undulata is a synonym is a tender perennial indigenous to South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province where the Xhosa regard it as a sacred plant with ethnobotanical properties. It has the ability to induce remarkably vivid and prophetic lucid dreams. The Xhosas call it undlela ziimhlophe which means “white paths”. The roots are ground, mixed with water, and beaten to a froth, which is consumed by novice diviners during the full moon to influence their dreams. They also take it to prepare for various rituals. The root has such a strong, musky essence that the diviners who consume it exude the scent in their sweat. Silene capensis is regarded by many as a more powerful inducer of lucid dreams than even Aztec Dream Herb, Calea zacatechichi or African Dream Herb, Entada rheedii. The plant exerts only minimal alterations in waking consciousness, yet the effects upon the dream state can be profound. Silene capensis is a tender perennial which prefers moist locations and sandy soil. It will do well in the garden with regular watering and also makes a fine night-blooming container specimen.