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Plant To Eat -
Pelargonium Citronellum. Rewarding lemon pelargonium is perfect for tricky sunny or shady areas. Plant it near sprinklers to release the strong lemon scent. -
Carpobrotus Spp. The sour fig with its fleshy leaves and showy flowers has both first-aid and food uses. The salty sour fruit is dried or used to make jams and condiments. -
Sclerocarya Birrea. The marula bears juicy fruits that are enjoyed by humans and animals alike. The fruit is used commercially to make jelly and alcoholic beverages. -
Eriocephalus Africanus. Wild rosemary is hardy, waterwise and suitable for planting almost anywhere – from windy coastal gardens to the Highveld.
WORDS Marjike Honig PHOTOS Craig Fraser, Marijke Honig, Malcom Hepplewhite, New Plant Nursery
In her book Indigenous Plant Palettes: An Essential Guide to Plant Selection (Quivertree), plant ecologist-turned-landscaper Marijke Honig provides a practical approach to indigenous plant selection. Her plant palette concept – there are 24 palettes in the book whereby plants are grouped for a specific use – provides a diversity of choice for each garden situation. In this extract from the book, we focus on planting to eat.
Can you imagine picking waterberries from your garden and making a delicious cordial? Using wild sorrel, wild rosemary and wild garlic to flavour your food, or adding spekboom leaves to your salads? Making jams and preserves with indigenous fruits and berries? There is a growing interest in foraging and cooking with local indigenous foods. This palette includes a variety of herbs, leaves and fruits that will add new flavour and zing to your food.
The Khoisan had an intimate knowledge of the veld, knowing exactly when and how to harvest wild plants. When the first clay pots were made, it became possible to combine different foods and flavour them with herbs – you could say that this was the beginning of the South African culinary tradition.
The Khoikhoi passed on their knowledge of edible plants to the early European and African settlers, who incorporated them into their traditional cooking. Some favourite dishes, such as sour fig jam and waterblommetjiebredie, remain popular to this day. However, in spite of this long tradition of veldkos, many of us are unused to the taste of indigenous plants – they are often more tart, astringent or sour than domesticated fruit and vegetables. As a start, introduce them in small quantities to soups, salads and stews where they can add flavour and dietary diversity without requiring a change of palette.
In addition to their flavour, indigenous edibles have nutritional value, which makes them a worthwhile addition to our diet. Wild plants grow in a diversity of habitats and soils, and as a result they contain minerals and vitamins that are unlikely to be found in mass-produced, fertiliser-grown crops. There is a renewed interest in growing, cooking, eating and sharing knowledge about local edibles, and creative chefs are adding an exciting twist to the South African food scene. It goes without saying that some plants are toxic, so it’s important to correctly identify edible plants. In the gallery above are some familiar garden plants and wild fruits from the veld that are traditional favourites.
Read about planting for security here. For more information about Indigenous Palettes: An Essential Guide to Plant Selection, visit quivertreepublications.com.
