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ESTATE NEWS

7 REASONS TO GROW

SPEKBOOM IN YOUR GARDEN

FIND OUT THE BENEFITS 3. It’s water-wise an excellent, hardy screen or hedge. Some
OF PLANTING SPEKBOOM, No time to water your garden? Spekboom varieties grow low to the ground and
others reach as high as 2 metres!
is a water-wise plant that’s ideal for low-
AN INDIGENOUS maintenance gardens. This drought-
SUCCULENT, IN YOUR resistant plant can survive on just 250- 7. You can even eat it
GARDEN. 350mm of water a year! We’re not suggesting you chow down on
a plate of spekboom, but it is edible and
4. Suitable for all seasons and weather apparently has a light, citrussy flavour. If
conditions you ever find yourself hiking through the
Whether you call it spekboom, elephant’s Spekboom has a photosynthetic Karoo, you can suck on a leaf – they are
food or pork bush, this incredible plant with mechanism which allows it to adapt to traditionally used to treat exhaustion and
its bright green, circular leaves should be both rainforest-like conditions and semi- dehydration.
planted in every South African garden (and arid conditions, making it incredibly
maybe even every garden around the world). adaptable and suited to almost any www.gardenandhome.co.za
Here’s why: garden.
1. Spekboom (aka Portulacaria afra) is a 5. It’s easy to grow
succulent that helps fight air pollution. Spekboom is easily propagated, which is
It has the ability to ‘sequester’ or capture great news for budget gardeners. Simply
four to ten tons of carbon per hectare! cut or break off a piece of a spekboom,
Essentially, it acts as a carbon sponge, let it dry out for one or two days and then
absorbing carbon from the atmosphere stick it in the ground. Give it a little water
and turning it into plant matter. Excess every few days and you’ll soon have a new
carbon in the atmosphere is responsible spekboom plant of your own. Make sure
for global warming, so the more carbon you don’t give it too much water or it will
we can remove from the air and return to rot.
the ground, the better.
6. Spekboom is a really versatile plant
2. Spekboom is a proudly South African plant Whether you are looking for a plant that
Spekboom is indigenous to the Eastern can be turned into a hedge or a bonsai,
Cape where South African elephants or used as groundcover or a large bush,
consider the plant a delicacy. spekboom can do it all. It responds well
to pruning and grows densely, making it

14 • Issue 1 2020 • BLUE VALLEY NEWS