The stalked bulbine is a beautiful, very floriferous, perennial succulent from South Africa. It can be used year-round as a houseplant, which also enjoys a spot outdoors in the summer. Unfortunately, it is not frost-hardy and must be brought indoors during frost. However, it rewards us with a true abundance of flowers. Many star-shaped individual flowers appear in bright yellow to orange on a stem. These loose flower clusters often give this plant its names, such as cat's tail plant or, in English, 'snake flower.'
The many folk names like burn jelly plant, first aid plant, and ouch plant point to another quality of this plant: the tubular, fleshy leaves contain a gel with antibacterial properties. When squeezed out of a leaf, this gel can be applied directly to the skin as a remedy for insect bites, minor burns, and sunburn. This gel is also popular in cosmetics and marketed similarly to Aloe Vera for dry, rough skin.
