Published in Haus-a-rest, art zine – Issue 29 – Conscious Environment 2022
‘Natures Apothecary’ : Mixed Media and Spekboom: 2.5m:2.5m:2.5m
‘Spekboom‘ – natures carbon sponge!
Whether you call it spekboom, elephant’s food or pork bush, this incredible plant with its bright green, circular leaves should be planted in every South African garden (and maybe even every garden around the world). Here’s why:
It improves the quality of the air we breathe and helps fight climate change
Spekboom (aka Portulacaria afra) is a succulent that helps fight air pollution. It has the ability to ‘sequester’ or capture four to ten tons of carbon per hectare! Essentially, it acts as a carbon sponge, absorbing carbon from the atmosphere and turning it into plant matter. Excess carbon in the atmosphere is responsible for global warming, so the more carbon we can remove from the air and return to the ground, the better.
Tessa Teixeira 