About Silene undulata Aiton
Silene undulata Aiton, also called Silene capensis or African dream root, is known as iindlela zimhlophe, meaning "white ways/paths," in the Xhosa language. This plant is native to the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
In cultivation, Silene undulata is an herb that is easy to grow but requires a large amount of moisture. It can tolerate extreme heat over 40 °C (104 °F) and moderate cold down to −5 °C (23 °F). A moisture-retentive seedbed is essential for growing this plant. Its fragrant flowers open at night and close during the day. It grows as a biennial to short-lived perennial, and its root can be harvested after the second year of growth.
The Xhosa people consider Silene undulata a sacred plant. Traditionally, its root is used to induce vivid lucid dreams that the Xhosa describe as prophetic during the initiation process of traditional healers. This classification makes it a naturally occurring oneirogen, similar to the more widely known dream herb Calea zacatechichi.
