African Wildlife & Environment Issue 79

GARDENING FOR BIODIVERSITY

for a variety of charms and medicinal applications. For example, in Zulu medicine it is a remedy for skin complaints and dried leaves are moistened and squeezed into the ear for earache. Xhosa mothers-to-be traditionally place parts of H. lucida in their clothing as charms to ensure the birth of a healthy baby while, according to Zulu folklore, a mixture of parts of the plant with crocodile fat will ward of lightning. Cynics may well speculate as to whether hunting crocodiles, with spears in days gone by, may have constituted a greater risk to life and limb than being struck by lightning! Lantana camara is an example of a dreadful problem plant, introduced as an ornamental to satisfy the whims of some gardeners. Charles and Julia Botha are the authors of Bring Nature Back to your Garden of which the first edition won a University of KwaZulu-Natal book prize for popularizing science. It explains the important conservation-friendly gardening principles in easy- to-understand, non-scientific language and has now been split into two editions: one for the western part of the country and another for the eastern and northern regions. There is also an isiZulu edition. Their follow up book Bring Butterflies Back to your Garden , describes over 500 recorded butterfly larval host-plants. All proceeds of their books go to the Botanical Education Trust, which funds research aimed at conserving South Africa’s indigenous flora. The books are available from the Flora & Fauna Publication Trust at https://www.floratrust.co.za/ or request your local bookstore to stock them! Charles & Julia Botha charlesbotha@gmail.com

In cold and frosty areas, Halleria lucida usually remains a shrub or small tree

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