The Blister Bush of Table Mountain
I am not sure which plants might be poisonous if you were to eat them!, but apart from the odd prickly bush, the only indigenous plant to really be aware of on Table Mountain is the blister bush ( Peucedanum galbanum) or mountain celery. This interesting plant I have recently discovered could just be racist… amazingly it apparently only effects white people! Some friends of mine from Hout Bay regularly pick the plant and use it in tea to treat bladder infections and were extremely surprised to hear me warning people away from it.
The blister bush of Table Mountain
One of the confusing aspects of this plant is that it only causes a blister in very specific conditions. These being that the leaf must be damaged and the sunlight must be bright. If you accidentally brush against the plant and then cover the skin to exclude light it does not affect the skin.
The blister bush flower
If you do happen to touch a damaged leaf and leave the skin in the sunlight, the area will become itchy for about 24 hours, after which time a water blister will appear. This remains for a day or 2 before disappearing. The skin remains scarred for some time but after a few months clears up completely.
So whilst a major panic on sighting a blister bush is not necessary, it is worth keeping an eye out for it on a sunny day!
