Backyard Farming the Natural Way

Kanna is another one of those cool ethnobotanical plants that I just had to try my greenfinger on.  It’s a succulent, but is hard to find and not available in any nurseries (that I know of).  Therefore, I ordered some seeds from an excellent company called “Sacred Succulents.” I would highly recommend them for hard to find succulents and other ethnobotanical and/or medicinal plants.

Anyhow, for those not familiar with Kanna, it is a succulent herb commonly found in South Africa, and is also known as Channa, Kougoed (Kauwgoed) – which literally means, ‘chew(able) things/goodies’ or ‘something to chew’. The plant has been used by South African peoples as a mood-altering substance from prehistoric times. It has also been referred to as “the happy plant” and is under current research as a possible antidepressant and for anxiety.

The traditionally prepared dried sceletium was often chewed and swallowed, but it has also been made into gel caps, teas and tinctures. It has also been used as a snuff and smoked.

After ordering and receiving about 50 seeds, I sowed them inside in the late winter.  Many people have a hard time germinating these seeds, and because  my research revealed that they liked a little alternate temperature treatment, I would occasionally move them between indoors and outdoors to accomplish this (between approximately 50 and 75 deg).  I succeded in sprouting 9 seedlings after a couple of weeks (pictured on the left after approximately 1 month).

I also ordered a more sprawling and hardy variety from Sacred Succulents that is called Kanna Nova. It supposedly has the same mood and anxiety effects, but I haven’t personally tested this. Anyhow, here is a picture of my Kanna Nova on the left and sceletium tortuosum on the right – taken a couple of months ago. Finally, these plants do not like a lot of heat and humidity and so it’s probably best to bring them inside during the summer (if you live in the southeast as I do).