There seems to be a growing pride in South African’s about our endemic shrub, spekboom. This Vitamin-C rich plant is a mean, carbon dioxide sequestering machine, proving to suck more of it out of the atmosphere per hectare than Earth’s lungs: the Amazon. Each hectare planted can remove over 4 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere per year. Spekboom can, however, be used for more than it’s carbon emission talents. Here are 5 ways to use spekboom (also known as porkbush) in everyday life.
1. Eat the spekboom
Spekboom is high in Vitamin-C and has a zesty taste, making it a perfect addition to salads or juices. All you need to do is pick some leaves and use as garnish. Alternatively, if you enjoy making your own juices at home, pop some in the extractor and voila! For those who are more adventurous, here are three spekboom recipes for the soul.
2. Drink the spekboom
Another thing South African’s are proud of is the array of craft gins that have landed us on international radars as a top gin destination. Take your gin and tonic game to the next level by switching out the cucumber for spekboom. Using a cutting for garnish that can doubled-up as a swizzle stick. If you want to infuse the spekboom taste into the mix, pick some leaves and cut them in half before dropping into your glass.
3. Gift the spekboom
Plants make a great gift but especially plants that are easy to care for. Spekboom cuttings can literally be stuck in the ground, where they happily grow into a bountiful bush. Snipping a piece of your plant and sticking it in a small pot to give to a friend is one way to spread the spekboom love.
4. Sooth with the spekboom
According to Shamwari Private Game Reserve, you can use it too help sooth your blistered feet – great if you’re hiking in the Eastern Cape – and ‘juiced leaves are used as an antiseptic and to soothe skin ailments such as pimples, rashes, insect stings and sunburn.’
5. Join the Spekboom challenge
South Africans are taking up the challenge of planting spekboom and sharing photos to social media along with the hashtag #spekboomchallenge. Planting anywhere between 10 and an infinite number of spekboom secures your position in the challenge. The aim of the challenge is to spread awareness about the benefits of this miracle plant. Also read: Spekboom challenge takes root in SA
Image: Instagram
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