Cissampelos is a small but fascinating genus in the moonseed family, Menispermaceae, made up mostly of light, twining climbers and lianes that weave their way through shrubs and trees in warm regions of Africa, Asia and the Americas. The plants are easily recognised by their rounded, often heart-shaped or nearly peltate leaves and their tiny, usually greenish, unisexual flowers: male and female flowers usually sit on separate plants, a trait shared by many members of the family.

What makes Cissampelos especially interesting is its long ethnobotanical history. Across Africa, Asia and South America various species have been used in traditional medicine for ailments ranging from fevers, coughs and arthritis to hypertension and skin problems, and some species famously formed part of curare arrow poisons used in hunting. Modern research has confirmed that the genus is rich in bioactive alkaloids, which explains both its pharmacological potential and its toxicity when misused.

In the South African context, Cissampelos capensis is the best-known representative: a tough, bluish-green twiner of hot, dry country, with a strong cultural and medicinal footprint in Afrikaans and indigenous traditions. For gardeners and collectors, Cissampelos offers something different: an indigenous climber with a subtle, bushveld feel, ideal for training through low shrubs or across a fence, and interesting enough in both foliage and history to deserve a special place in a water-wise garden.

Cissampelos capensis

(Cape moonseed vine; dawidjieswortel, dawidjies, dawidjie; sometimes historically linked with Antizoma capensis in older literature)

Cissampelos capensis is a hardy, characterful South African climber with a strong sense of place – think dolerite koppies, dry riverbeds and warm bushveld slopes. This perennial, twining shrublet reaches about 1 m in height, either scrambling through surrounding vegetation or sprawling along the ground, making it ideal as a low, indigenous “scrambler” in the garden. The foliage is one of its main attractions: small, egg-shaped to heart-shaped leaves in a soft blue-green, held on fine petioles, giving the plant a delicate, ferny look despite its toughness.

In South Africa it is known by a rich collection of Afrikaans names – dawidjieswortel, dawidjies, dawidjie – as well as the English “Cape moonseed vine” and isiXhosa name umayisake. The plant is dioecious: male and female flowers are carried on different plants. From about February to May, velvety green, axillary flowers appear in the leaf axils, with male blooms held in small cymes and female flowers singly or in pairs. The flowers are subtle rather than showy, but when the small orange-red berries ripen on female plants they add a lovely warm accent against the blue-green foliage. In some areas and in cultivation, plants may flower and fruit at other times of the year as well.

Cissampelos capensis occurs naturally from Namibia through the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape, typically in hot, dry shrubland and bushveld, often on dolerite ridges or along dry river courses where frost is absent. This makes it perfectly suited to South African water-wise gardens. It thrives in full sun, in sandy or rocky, well-drained soils, and copes extremely well with heat and drought once established. In the garden you can use it as a tough groundcover winding between rocks, or train it up a low trellis, dead shrub or wire fence for a natural, “veld” effect. Traditionally the roots and stems have been widely used in folk medicine, but for modern home growers this plant is best enjoyed as an attractive, culturally significant ornamental; any medicinal use should only be under the guidance of a qualified professional. Fresh seed from Seeds and All gives you the chance to grow your own dawidjieswortel from the very beginning and integrate this iconic Cape climber into your indigenous plantings.