Justicia schimperiana is an evergreen shrub widely used in traditional African medicine, especially for treating respiratory, digestive, and infectious diseases
Justicia schimperiana (family Acanthaceae), also known by the older name Adhatoda schimperiana, is a leafy shrub up to 4 metres tall whose stems are brittle and break easily. Its leaves are simple and opposite, oval and up to 13 by 4 cm, with a pointed tip. The flowers grow in conspicuous heads on long stalks held clearly above the leaves; each small flower sits inside a green-yellow leafy bract about 1.5 cm long. The flowers are white or yellow-white, tubular, up to 3 cm long and two-lipped, with a dark purple throat or purple lines on the lip. The fruit is a capsule holding four seeds.
In Ethiopia, where it is known as sensel in Amharic and dumuga in Oromo, it is a common shrub of moist mountain forest, usually near streams and rivers, and of evergreen scrub on hill slopes, forest clearings, coffee plantations and waste ground, at 1,300 to 2,800 metres. It is planted as a hedge around homesteads and used for firewood and as a live fence; its wood is commonly used for baking injera. It is usually grown from cuttings, though seedlings can also be raised. A 2025 ethnobotanical study in West Arsi, southern Ethiopia, recorded its use by traditional healers for rabies, hepatitis, skin diseases, asthma, malaria, abdominal disorders, livestock diseases and ritual problems.
Note on sources: the archive gives Ityenger as Justicia schimperiana, as the owner confirmed. The sources consulted describe it from Ethiopia, and the GBIF records of it come from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and Eritrea; none of them is from Nigeria.
Sources: Bekele-Tesemma, A. (2007), Useful Trees and Shrubs of Ethiopia, World Agroforestry Centre; Mekonen, M. T. and Degu, H. (2025), East African Journal of Biophysical and Computational Sciences 6(1); GBIF occurrence records (accessed 2 Nov 2026).
The leaves and stems are extensively used to treat asthma, colds, diarrhea, infections, parasites, headaches, and liver-related ailments.
The leaves are eaten as a leafy vegetable or spinach substitute, often cooked alone or mixed with other greens.
The plant is traditionally used for spiritual cleansing, treating ailments linked to the “evil eye,” and occasionally as a natural soap substitute
It is easily propagated by cuttings, thrives in moist highland environments, and is commonly grown as a hedge or live fence around homes.