Haplophyton cimicidum var. crooksii
Cockroach Plant
Family: Apocynaceae
Perennial plant growing up to 2’ tall, often much smaller, spreading as wide, or slightly wider. Fragrant yellow flowers occur from summer into fall and are followed by long slender follicles containing black seeds. The plant superficially resembles Menodora species.
Grow in full to part sun, moderate water with very good drainage, hardy into the low teens, perhaps even single digits °F.
Flowers are fragrant and lightly colored, with a long corolla which usually suggests pollination by nocturnal moths.
The plant is called the cockroach plant (or hierba de la cucaracha) because of its insecticidal properties.
Haplophyton comes from Greek kaploos which means simple and phyton which means plant; cimicidum is from the Latin cimex (bug), and -cide from the Latin caedere (to kill), referring to the plant-s use as an insecticide. The variety crooksii was named for D.M. Crooks head of the division of drug and related plants of the Bureau of Plant Industry, Washington, D. C., a friend of botanist Lyman Benson who noticed the difference in the population of plants.
Rocky slopes in desert scrub and desert grassland, 2500-5200 ft. in Arizona, New Mexico, and into northern Mexico.
Plants are usually found growing in rocky soils, photo by Sue Carnahan, SEINET
Follicles (seed pods) of cockroach plant, Photo by Sue Carnahan, SEINET