On a late-summer morning in the lowveld, you might spot a patch of delicate white flowers curling along sandy paths, almost like a string of tiny stars. Stop and look closely – this is the common string-of-stars, Heliotropium steudneri, a modest but fascinating plant that often goes unnoticed! The common string-of-stars is a perennial herb or subshrub, usually 60–100 cm tall. It’s woody at the base, with softly hairy stems and narrow, alternate leaves. Its signature feature i