The calabash (Lagenaria siceraria) is an ancient fruit, cultivated for millennia in Africa and Asia and later spread worldwide. Once dried, its hard shell was used for containers, utensils, and musical instruments. It also holds symbolic and ritual significance in many cultures, representing fertility and protection. Today, it is used for crafts, decoration, music, and some traditional culinary purposes.

Rotheca myricoides, also known as the blue butterfly bush, is a flowering plant native to tropical East Africa. It grows in forest margins, woodlands, and along rivers. Valued as an ornamental plant for its vivid blue-purple flowers that attract butterflies and bees, it is also used in traditional medicine. Ecologically, it supports pollinators and can be used in native landscaping.