As Spring arrived, we at Ford Umhlanga made the commitment to go green to put a positive impact on the environment. As a result, we decided that all employees across all departments would participate. Due to the pollution in the air, our surrounding area needed an Eco-Friendly boost to assist our environment, so we decided to give back to nature.
Researching what plant would be the best fit, we came across the Spekboom, a succulent plant native to South Africa. Among its many Spekboom facts is that it is indigenous to the province of the Eastern Cape and is revered as a miracle plant. Bright green, small-leaved plant found in Southern Africa looks ordinary, but don't be fooled - it is very special!
Below are a few of the many fascinating facts about this plant.
#1 Leaves are Edible
The taste of spekboom leaf is pleasant but changes throughout the day as the sun rises and sets. During the day leaves have an acid flavour and become less acidic towards the evening. The delicious greenery is heavily browsed by game and a firm favourite of several wild animals, especially elephants!
#2 Communities Use Spekboom Leaves for Their Medicinal Values
The leaves are used medicinally and in traditional home construction.
#3 It Helps to Fight Climate Change and Air Pollution
This plant helps to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by acting as a carbon sponge, improving the quality of the air we breathe. More specifically, spekboom can absorb between four and ten tonnes of carbon per hectare. This incredible tree uses carbon to make plant tissue and produce oxygen. According to The Spekboom Foundation, spekboom’s capacity to offset harmful carbon emissions is compared to that of moist, subtropical forests. This remarkable plant is unique in that it stores solar energy to perform photosynthesis at night. This makes a spekboom thicket 10 times more effective per hectare at carbon fixing than any tropical rainforest.”
For the staff at Ford Umhlanga, this was a beautiful and memorable day as each employee got the opportunity to plant their very own Spekboom at the front entrance of our dealership. This definitely was motivating to everyone involved and really touched a special place in their heart knowing that we played our part in the fight against global warming by simply planting a spekboom plant at our dealership!!!
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