Deep black buds open to bright, 2-inch yellow flowers on 1-foot spikes on this nonhardy African shrub. The green compound leaves (more than one leaflet per leaf petiole), when crushed, smell like popcorn.

Plant this tropical-looking plant in full sun and provide room for its rapid growth rate to around 6 feet in size in a Chicago summer.

In Africa, concoctions made from the leaves are used to treat a variety of intestinal ailments in people and skin diseases in livestock. The ashes from the stem are used to treat gourds used to store milk.