The Spekboom Challenge has inspired locals across the nation to do their part for the environment and plant at least 10 spekbooms each by the end of 2020. The City of Cape Town has even recently joined the movement pledging to plant 5000 and now a store in Bellville is joining in too.
Cape Venison and Biltong in Bellville has joined the challenge in a truly meaningful way, offering every visitor who spends a mere R100 at their store a free small spekboom to take home.
The special is in collaboration with local home-based nursery Pot & Plant and will run for the month of February.
“I saw on the internet that there was a huge spekboom movement happening and I really wanted to get involved so we decided to join the movement. Since it’s February, we thought we would give a little love back to the earth,” says owner Eduard Roux.
According to Roux, guests can also get a larger spekboom when they spend R150 or more and if their special is a success, he hopes to extend it into the rest of the year and spread the spekboom love even further.
Pot & Plant is also doing their part offering the wonder plant at half price and including a small card with every plant that gives the new owners some information about how to plant and care for their new spekbooms.
“We hope to achieve more awareness with this promotion. Hoping every person will plant a spekboom. We give a little information card as well, ” says Pot & Pant owner Ilse Conrad.
The spekboom, also known as Pork Bush or Elephant’s Food, is a tree of wonder that has the ability to absorb the highest amounts of carbon dioxide when compared to any other plant in existence. A healthy thicket of this treasure trove is said to be ten times more effective at removing carbon dioxide from the air than the Amazon Forest, which is known as the lungs of the earth for its contribution to cleaning the air and removing carbon dioxide.
On top of this, spekboom can live up to 200 years and has the ability to adapt to its surroundings, ensuring a long and beneficial life once planted. It is also an edible plant with very high nutritional value that can be used in a variety of ways. If all of this wasn’t enough to inspire your love for spekboom, it is also a highly water-wise plant, needing only up to half the water of other plants to survive, meaning its not only easy to grow but also easy for those living in areas suffering from droughts or water shortages to care for.
You can visit this quaint store that sells everything from biltong to rusks and dried fruit at Suikerbossie 10, Shop 3A Blomtuin in Bellville.
Visit Pot & Plant at 61 Rathgarstreet, Bellville.
Pictures: Facebook/Pot & Plant