I love the Afrikaans movie “Pad na my hart.” Donnalee Roberts introduced us to the humble little spekboom traveling with her as her oxygen engine.
Spekboom (Portulacaria Afra) is a succulent plant indigenous to the Eastern Cape province in South Africa. Many have deemed it a miracle plant. It is a bright green, small-leaved plant that might seem ordinary, but don’t be fooled!
Spekboom has a unique ability to sequester carbon through dual carbon fixation pathways. When conditions are favourable, photosynthesises follow the same pathway as other plants (C3 photosynthesis). However, during harshly dry conditions, it switches to a different type of photosynthesis called CAM (Crassulacean Acid Metabolism). Now, the plant closes the pores (or stoma) in its leaves and branches during the day so that no unnecessary transpiration takes place. Yet it remains able to photosynthesise.
This is made possible by acid that builds up in the leaves during the night
Spekboom can live up to 200 years, locking in all that carbon for a long time.
According to The Spekboom Foundation, spekboom’s “capacity to offset harmful carbon emissions is compared to moist, subtropical forests. This makes a spekboom thicket ten times more effective per hectare at carbon fixing than any tropical rainforest.”
The Spekboom flowers are nectar-rich and provide food for many insects—endangered bees love them! This, in turn, attracts insectivorous birds. The larvae of the Duadem butterfly also feed on the Spekbook. The plant will reach the flowering stage at 3 – 4 years.
Spekboom grows best in the sun but will cope in semi-shade conditions. The colour of the leaves is brighter if grown in the sun. Spekboom is not fussy about the soil it is grown in but prefers that the soil drains well.
Propagating this miracle plant is very easy. Cut or break off a piece, stick it in your garden bed or rockery, and water it every few days. We prefer using Spekboom in the garden as borders and hedges. We only bought 10 Spekboom trees, but today, our garden is full of hedges.
Spekboom is also edible, high in nutrients, especially Vitamin C, and a perfect addition to a salad. The leaves are used medicinally and in traditional home construction.
Here are the most popular traditional and contemporary uses of spekboom leaves:
- Sucking a leaf to quench thirst and treat exhaustion, dehydration, and heatstroke.
- Crushed leaves are used to provide relief for blisters.
- Chewing leaves can treat sore throat and mouth infections.
- Juiced leaves are antiseptic to soothe skin ailments such as pimples, rashes, insect stings, and sunburn.
- In certain areas, the stems are used to help build huts/homes. The stems are dried and used as thatch for rooves of the huts/homes.
- In Mozambique, breastfeeding mothers eat spekboom leaves to increase their milk supply.
- During famine, the Zulus eat the leaves raw.
This little miracle plant will also make a fantastic addition to your houseplants, especially because of its air-purifying qualities. Place your plants where they will get bright, indirect light—a location with a few hours of morning sun would be perfect.
A wide variety of Spekboom (Portulacaria Afra) is available. Some varieties are great for hanging baskets, while others are better for hedging. Ask your local nursery what variety would be best for your needs.
So, what happens when a dietitian, a geography teacher, and a landscaper start cooking with Spekboom?
A company called The Spekboom Co was born, and after months of testing and trying, a Deli range with chutney, jam, and pickles was launched. Today, their range includes lotions, soap, body butter, and even after-sun—all infused with Spekboom! In addition to the beauty products, they have handmade linen napkins and hand towels made from a hemp and linen blend, embroidered with a Spekboom design.
The Spekboom Co boasts a wide range of proudly South-African, one-of-a-kind products inspired by the indigenous Spekboom plant. This distinctively South-African plants edible leaves have a zesty
lemon like taste.
The Deli products all contain fresh or dried Spekboom leaves and includes a Jam, a Chutney and a Pickle; a spice range including Meat Spice, Chicken Spice and a Pudding Spice-and-Sugar mix; as well as Chimichurri- and Salad dressing dry mixes.
These products do not contain additives or preservatives, are free of Gluten and MSG and also suitable for Vegans.
You can’t get more local than this! Visit The Spekboom Co to view all the products they have available.
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