Leaf
Pascal Amblard, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Gas plant
Dictamnus albus L.
Also known as: Fraxinella, Burning bush
Family: Rutaceae
60 cm to 1 m tall
Dry gardens, chalky banks, free-draining soils
Flowering: May – June
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to -25°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
In hot, still weather, its flowers give off an essential oil so volatile that it can sometimes be briefly ignited above the plant without burning it.
🍃 Leaves
Compound, leathery, glossy, aromatic when crushed
🌸 Flowers
Large pinkish-white flowers veined with purple, in spikes, very fragrant
🍎 Fruits
Star-shaped capsules releasing shiny seeds
🪵 Bark
Upright clump, deep root
🗺️ Distribution
Southern and central Europe, Asia; rare and localised on dry chalky slopes in France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Large veined pink flowers, rich in nectar, very attractive to bees and bumblebees.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Sunny perennial borders, a star plant for its original flowering; to be handled with care because of its phototoxicity.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Toxic and strongly photosensitising: the sap contains furocoumarins causing severe skin burns on contact with sunlight; flammable essential oils given off by the plant.
🌿 Other Rutaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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