Chlorophytum comosum

Common name: Hen and chicken
Family: Anthericaceae

Origin: South Africa

Plant description: an attractive perennial rosette plant growing grass-like clumps of strap-shaped mid-green leaves which have a white margin.
Use: Beautiful plant for indoors, hanging basket, container, greenhouse, or  ground cover for a shady position.
Light and position: Prefers a moist shady area.
Water requirement: Water moderately throughout the year.
Special care: Sensitive to sunlight and will burn easily. Plant in well-composted soil.
Pest and diseases: Spider mites.
Propagation: Repot rooting plantlets at any time of year.

Gardening for birds

Gardening, whether on a small, large plot or in a windowsill pot, is a greatly satisfying job for many people. However, planting and maintaining the needs of the plants does not only reward the gardener but it benefits the entire environment in diverse ways.

Small urban gardens can provide an invaluable haven for birds. By growing the right plants in your garden, you can invite various types of birds. They like eating berries, fruits, insects, worm’s, nectar, and seeds.

Make your garden more bird-friendly, by providing food, nesting sites, shelter, and water supply. Try imitating natural habitation as close as possible.

Bird friendly-plants

Small trees

• Doyvalis caffra
• Erythrina sp.
• Halleria lucida - the nectar rich flowers attract sunbirds and other nectar-feeding birds that pollinate flowers. Fruits are eaten by fruit eating birds.
• Olea exasperata
• Osteospermum moniliferum
• Searsia crenata
• Searsia lucida - evergreen small tree grows up to 2-5 m. It can spreads up to 4 m. Small, creamy white flowers are borne in August to February  and the round fruits occur from October to June. The birds eat the ripe berries.

Shrubs

• Aloe sp.

• Euryops virgineus

• Leonotis leonorus - a fast-growing shrub which grows up to to 2-3 m and 1.5 m wide. The flowers contain sweet nectar that attract many nectar loving birds such as Sunbirds.  

• Metalasia muricata - a greyish, rounded shrub which grows up to 4 m. Flowers attracts many pollinating insects and the seeds are eaten by birds.
• Portulacaria afra
• Salvia aurea

Climber/ Creeper

• Cissampelos capensis
• Thunbergia alata - a soft, perennial climber about 1m with many twinning stems. It attractive to insects and helps bring birds into a garden. It provide secluded nesting sites for especially for robins.

If your garden is too small and cannot plant many shrubs, make use of bird feeders.

Propagating Salvia aurea

Salvia aurea a very attractive evergreen shrub with greyish-green leaves and showy, bi-labiate brown flowers in spring and summer.

 
 

Salvia aurea

Scientific name: Salvia aurea 
Family: LAMIACEAE 
Common names: beach salvia, dune sage 

Plant Description
A must-have shrub for any medicinal or water-wise garden.

Salvia aurea is an evergreen hardy shrub that grows up to 2 m with greyish-green leaves that are paddle-shaped. They are occasionally toothed. Unusual golden-brown flowers are carried in short sprays 10 cm long from June to December. The petals fall and the saucer-like calyx, which becomes papery with age remains as an added attraction. When its flowering it attracts bees, birds and butterflies. 

The name Salvia means salvere in Latin which means to save or heal referring to the healing or medicinal properties. While aurea means golden describing the yellow colour of the developing flowers and the burnished golden-brown of the flower. 

Growing and maintenance of Salvia aurea

It is suitable to grow in sandy soil, flourishes in full sun and needs little watering. It tolerates drought, strong winds and it can be used for any medicinal, fynbos, and coastal gardens. The greyish-green foliage makes it a perfect specimen for a water-wise garden. Pruning after flowering helps keep the shrub tidy. 

It can be propagated from seeds sown in spring and cuttings. To propagate Salvia aurea use stem cuttings. 

• Cuttings can be taken from Spring to Autumn.
• Take 7 - 10 cm long stem cuttings.
• They can be planted into river sand or well-draining soil.
• Place cuttings in a cool spot and keep them moist but avoid over watering.

Salvia aurea is available at our nursery UWC Cape Flats Nursery.

References

Manning, J. 2009. Field Guide to Wild Flowers of South Afrika, Random House Struik (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town 

JOFFE, P. 1993. The gardener's guide to South African plants. Cape Town, Tafelburg Publishers. 

Viljoen, C. 2002, PlantZAfrica.com. http://pza.sanbi.org/salvia-aurea