A Miracle plant?

– Leaves can be used to treat exhaustion, dehydration and heatstroke.

– Crushed leaves can be rubbed on blisters and corns on the feet to provide relief.

– The leaves are chewed as a treatment for sore throat and mouth infections.

– The astringent juice is used for soothing ailments of the skin such as pimples, rashes and insect stings.

– The juice is also used as an antiseptic and as a treatment for sunburn.

– Spekboom leaves can help with the stimulation of milk in humans.”

Spekboom leaves are edible and rich in manganese, cobalt and especially magnesium and it contains micro elements, rich in Vitamin C, iodine and selenium.

See full article in the Daily Maverick here: 

The South African government’s Working for Ecosystems programme proposes restoring a million hectares (2.5 million acres) of P. afra thicket. The addition of more spekboom into the environment can also help restore native species to areas where they no longer can grow.  P. afra has been shown to help create shade and add organic material into sandy soil, which allows for an environment more hospitable to young plants, thus helping restore populations of native species that were reduced by overgrazing and desertification.

According to the Spekboom Foundation one hectare of Spekboom is ten times more effective at processing carbon dioxide than one hectare of the Amazon forest. With climate change showing its true devastation all around us- from floods to droughts to heatwaves- it’s no surprise that a plant with such high “carbon-cred” would reach the press!
According to Samantha Mooi, part of Investec’s Sustainability team, the average person in South Africa produces 10.06 tonnes* of carbon dioxide per year. And they’ve worked out that on average, an Investec employee will emit 7.19 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year while at work. To offset some of that Investec is bringing Spekboom to the rescue. “We are going to give 5,200 of our South African based staff one Spekboom and tell them to ‘pay it forward.’”

She goes on to explain the incredible impact that can be achieved if each employee plants their plant and gives a cutting to another person. “Through this little action, in two years, one Spekboom plant can promulgate to cover one hectare of ground. That one plant can absorb ten tonnes of carbon. With that in mind, the 5,200 Spekboom handed out to staff, will sequester 52,000 tonnes of carbon, over two years.”

Ref: WikiPedia

Learn more on the The Spekboom Foundation of South Africa Facebook page.    

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