Living Earth topic
Local vegetables and wild foods of Namibia and the region.
A useful plant record connects a name with the actual plant, its growing place and the experience people have with it. Good photographs and careful questions help the com…
“Sea spinach” is a common name, not a reliable botanical identification. Coastal plants can offer food and habitat value, but a plant growing near salt water is not autom…
An African baobab, Adansonia digitata, can become a remarkable long-lived tree. It is a landscape commitment with eventual food and habitat value, not a quick solution fo…
Mongongo, also called manketti, is Schinziophyton rautanenii. Its fruit and kernels have longstanding food value in parts of southern Africa. Growing it is a long-term la…
Corky-bark monkey-orange, Strychnos cocculoides, is a fruit-bearing tree of parts of tropical and southern Africa, including northern Namibia. Its hard-shelled fruit attr…
Wild medlar, Vangueria infausta, is an indigenous African shrub or small tree with edible ripe fruit. It can be part of a diverse food landscape where the site suits it.…
African mangosteen, Garcinia livingstonei, is an African fruit tree distinct from the tropical supermarket mangosteen. Its orange fruit and attractive form make it worth…
Jackalberry, Diospyros mespiliformis, is a substantial indigenous African tree with shade and fruit value. It belongs in a long-term landscape plan. A sheltered, adequate…
Sourplums can contribute fruit, habitat and a thorny edge to a suitable landscape. Begin with the species: “Ximenia” and “sourplum” can refer to different plants. Large s…
Bird plum is a southern African fruit tree worth considering where local examples show that it can thrive. Its older name, Berchemia discolor, remains common in nursery a…
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