Numerous easy to grow plants can be a great attribute to an aesthetically pleasing garden while also serving a purpose as a rich source of nourishment and an alternative to modern day medicine.
Spekboom:
One such amazing plant is the South African Portulacaria Afra known locally as the Spekboom, Elephant Bush, Dwarf Jade Plant or Porkbush.
It is a soft-wooded, semi-evergreen upright shrub or small tree with small leaves, it is classified as succulent plant found in South Africa. The Spekboom can be easily planted with cuttings and usually grows up to 2.5–4.5 meters in height, and is one of the most resilient plants that I have come to know, it is drought-tolerant and fire-resistant, it will endure desert sun and heat once established and can even survive winter frosts by creating its own natural cover through dense growth. It is no wonder that these trees can live up to 200 years.
What does the Spekboom add to my household?
This amazing shrub with its tender lemony leaves is not only a great addition to salads and stews it is also extremely high in its contents of manganese, cobalt and especially magnesium, iodine and selenium.
Medicinally the Spekboom is simply a green treasure trove.
The plant leaves can be chewed on to effectively treat high blood sugar levels and these plants are also used to treat dehydration and over-exhaustion, it is also great at increasing breast milk production in lactating mothers.
The leaves can be crushed and used as a poultice to apply to blisters, corns, acne, insect bites, sunburn and aching feet
Even more reason to Plant Speckboom:
One of the brilliant aspects of these plants, is that they function differently to normal plants when it comes to Photosynthesis - it actually uses two different methods to photosynthesize.
Photosynthesis during normal conditions:
When it is cold and damp, which would fall under our winter months; the Spekboom plant tends to show a growth increase and makes use of ordinary photosynthesis.
Secondary Photosynthesis:
This process involves the plant opening up its stomata, allowing it to absorb carbon dioxide, this is then transformed into an acid inside the plants that then gets broken down and released during the night when the plants closes their stomata again, this means that the plants doesn't loose any moisture through its stomata in the process. This occurs in dry conditions throughout the year.
Very Well - But what does that mean?
This simply means that a small patch of Spekboom plants, have the ability to capture over 4 tons of carbon per year, and its immensely intricate carbon dioxide filtration process allows you to live better and breathe better.
4 TONS OF CARBON!! - Hectare for hectare more that the rain-forest! That is 100 times more carbon from the atmosphere than a pine tree of similar size can do.
You Seriously Want More Reasons To Grow A Spekboom?
O.K, let me give you a few more reasons:
The Speckboom makes gorgeous has pink or light purple flowers, that gives your garden great appeal while also attracting loads of beneficial insects to your garden ( these flowers also produce divine honey with help of bees)
Planting them is a great way to carbon farm.
The plant serves as shelter for small animals and birds during bitterly cold weather because of the moisture in the Spekboom which maintains some of its heat at night and thus acts as a good insulator.
The Spekboom increases the quality of your soil
If you are a live stock farmer - the Spekboom makes for ideal animal feed especially during times of drought or scarcity.
It can be grown into thick lush hedging.
