African Wildlife & Environment Issue 82

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

The exciting Barley Sugar Plant Pollichia campestris , commonly known as the ‘wild sugar bush’ and in Afrikaans ‘suikertee’ or ‘teesuiker bossie’ is well known in the old ‘boereraad’ recipe books. In Tswana it is called Sefakwana and Zulu it is called Umhlungulu . It is a firm favourite to foragers, including birds and bees, as it is easy to find, pick, and use for its many healing qualities, as well as its mild sweet barley delicious flavour. The small, grey-green, gentle, low growing shrub grows in a sprawling fashion, approximately 50 centimeters to one meter in height. It has sharp little pointed leaves growing in whorls around the stem. During the seasons it develops small round green flowers, which mature into the sweet barley flavoured berries. These grow as if they are tucked into the little axils of the leaves and around each flower, in a bract which becomes juicy and fleshy, and becomes white as it matures. It can be likened to a minute, juicy pincushion filled with tiny seeds. The sweet (on the palate), fleshy berry flavour tastes like a white Mulberry with a high water content. It is found growing easily in the Eastern Cape, Kwa Zulu Natal, Free State, Gauteng, Northwest province, Zimbabwe and further up into middle and North Africa. It grows well from seeds, cuttings and pieces of rooted branch pressed into wet sand. It is worth growing as an attractive grey coloured garden bed-filler. Once planted in the garden it can grow to a meter in height. This perennial and evergreen shrub can be cut down in late winter, to encourage new growth.Always remember that the best time to grow cuttings is in early spring. Foraging from the bush, and finding a little delicious sweetness is always exciting, like one’s childhood memories of easter egg hunts in the garden. Perhaps not as sweet or as decadent, but so much healthier, and with more wonderment of what natures gives you to explore in health and healing, out in the open veld. FORAGING THE BARLEY SUGAR PLANT FROM THE VELD

Barley Sugar and Wild Jasmine tea

Medicinally, the Barley Sugar Plant is an excellent anti-inflammatory, also soothing as an inhalant for chest ailments, asthma and congestion, it relieves sore throats, aiding in the healing of bronchitis. For a decongestant steam In a bowl, pour four cups of boiling water over one cup of Barley Sugar stems and leaves, add one cup of Bluegum leaves. Hold a towel tent over the bowl and inhale the steam for a few minutes, repeat nightly for three days or until the sore throat subsides.

29 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 82 (2022)