Their leaves are edible. They have medicinal properties. They are super easy to grow. But the one property that has made the Spekboom plant a household name in South Africa is its ability to fight climate change.
By the end of 2018, Spekboom plants were getting loads of attention for all the right reasons. This indigenous succulent plant not only looks stunning in the garden but when the world started discussing what the ordinary person can do to combat climate change, this plant became a sort of mascot for South Africa.
Also called the elephant’s food plant or pork bush, Spekboom is a wonder plant in every sense of the word and because of this, many South Africans have decided to take on a unique challenge.
The Spekboom Challenge
The hashtag #spekboomchallenge erupted on social media recently, with South Africans from all corners of the country posting pictures of their plants and gardens, along with facts like “spekboom absorbs the highest amount of carbon when compared to any other plants” and “spekboom plants require half the water that other plants require to survive”.
As soon as South African gardeners realised the potential of this otherwise inconspicuous plant, garden centres were inundated with people looking to buy a spekboom of their own. And a challenge was born.
Spekboom is native to the Eastern Cape and in the past they were known for their rich vitamin C content which made them quite nutritious. When it was discovered that they had the unique ability to absorb loads of carbon dioxide it was only a matter of time before environmentally conscious South Africans would make full use of the opportunity to play their own role in the fight to fix the planet.
2019 was a year of climate change awareness, with Greta Thunberg dominating headlines with her prophetic speeches. Many living in SA were moved by her words and encouraged to do something. Besides the individuals taking up the mantle and planting spekboom in their gardens as their contribution, group initiatives also started gaining attention. Projects aimed at communities and schools have been gaining traction and there is even a highly ambitious project known as The Great Labyrinth of Africa.
This project aims to plant 165 000 spekboom plants to create the largest labyrinth in the world. The planting of the labyrinth is planned for February and it will be created at Klapmuts close to Stellenbosch. At the moment, the biggest issue holding back the project is a lack of water pipes, as the plants will need to be watered for the next three years, and this is understandably not something that can be done by hand.
Want to be a part of the challenge?
Anyone can take part, all you need to do is buy and plant a spekboom plant in your garden. It is up to you if you want to share it with the world via social media, but your small part can make a big difference.
