Coleus madagascariensis

Common name: thicket spurflower

Family: Lamiaceae

Origin: South Africa

Plant description: evergreen groundcover that grow about 15cm x 45cm and its spreads. It roots as the runners touch the ground. It has green or green and white variegated leaves and small whitish flowers in summer.

Use: as hanging baskets plant or as indoor plant.

Light and position: prefers shade area, morning sun (semi shade), afternoon (semi-shade).

Water requirements: it requires moderate water and it is drought tolerant.

Special care: requires little maintenance, pruning can be done to rejuvenate the plant and keep it tidy.

Pest and diseases: caterpillars and snails.

Propagation: Sow seeds during spring. Divide clumps with roots attached and replant. Cuttings can be made at any time of the year.

Gardening for butterflies

We all want to see colourful butterflies in our gardens. Most butterflies are attracted to the garden due to flowers. They feed on flowers nectar but some feed on rotting fruit. So when choosing your plants, select plants that provide food. It is also necessary to incorporate host plants for butterflies to lay their eggs on and larvae to eat. 

Butterflies like Pied and Golden Piper larval stage feeds on stinging nettle, while Gaudy and Garden commodore larval stage feeds on species of  Plectranthus.

 

Propagating Searsia crenata

Searsia crenata  a lovely evergreen shrub or small tree up to 3m. It grows well on sandy dune soils. They can be utilised as hedge and they make excellent wind breakers.

Searsia crenata

Scientific name: Searsia crenata (Thunb) Moffet

Family: ANACARDIACEA

Common name: dune crowberry /duniekraaibessie

Plant Description 

Dune crowberry formerly known as Rhus crenata is a tough, evergreen and compact branched shrub that grows up to 3m tall. It is spineless, the small leaves are alternately arranged, and each leaf has three leaflets. The flowers are insignificant, white to almost cream and appear in small clusters at the tip of branches during autumn (March – April). Fruits are very small round red-brown to pale blackberries. 

Searsia was named after Paul B. Sears (1891-1990) who was head of the Yale School of Botany and crenata refers to the leaves that are toothed with scallops. 

Growing and maintenance of Searsia crenata

Searsia crenata is a vigorous shrub to plant in full sun. It prefers sandy, well-drained soil and moderate watering. It is ideal for dune stabilisation. It is drought and wind-resistant. Searsia can also be grown as a small tree. It attracts birds such as barbets, bulbuls, mousebirds and starlings in the garden. Butterflies breed on the shrub. The larvae use the leaves as food.

Dune crowberry can be propagated from cuttings or seed:

•  Cuttings should be taken in early winter or spring;
•  7cm long cuttings should be taken in cool hours of the day from the semi-ripe hardwood cuttings;
•  Remove one-third of the foliage at the base of the cutting;
•  Dip into rooting hormone (seradix 2) to stimulate root growth; 

 Plant in a well-drained rooting medium (a mixture of bark and polystyrene); and 

Cuttings should be kept moist and be placed in a warm place with enough light.

Seeds:

• Remove the fleshy outer covering of the seed.
• Sow in a mixture of course sand, bark and loam.
• Can be placed in a cold frame.

Limited stock of Searsia crenata is available at our nursery UWC Cape Flats Nursery.

 

References

Jackson, W. 1990. Origins And Meanings Of Names Of South African Plant Genera. Rondebosch: University of Cape Town.

Joffe, P. 2007. Creative gardening with indigenous plants: A South African Guide. Briza Publications, Pretoria

Manning, J. 2007, Field Guide to Fynbos, Random House Struik (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town

Low, A.B. 1983, Flowering Plants of the Cape Flats Nature Reserve, University of Western Cape, Bellville

Benjamin, F. 2019, PlantZAfrica.com. http://pza.sanbi.org/searsia-crenata. Accessed 30/09/2020