Medicine Garden in South Africa

With the prices of medical fees increasing every day, we are being forced to look for alternative means to take care of ourselves. There are many ways that one can become a domestic healer in the comfort of your own home. Luckily, we are in a country where there is an abundance of plants that can keep us healthy and you can find them right at your local nursery.

Here are a few plants you can be on the lookout for on your next visit to the nursery.

Bitter Aloe

The aloe vera plant is globally famous for its medicinal qualities, and the wide range of ailments it can heal. The gel from the leaf is the part that carries all the medicinal qualities and is most efficient if applied directly after squeezing off the leaf since it loses its ability once stored. 

This plant is great for:

• Helping to soothe off irritations in the intestines when orally administered; 
• Can be used to heal arthritis; 
• Can be used as a laxative; 
• Can be applied directly to the skin to soothe bee stings, burns, and sunburns; 
• Treatment for the skin and hair; 
• The plant is used as a raw material in the production of herbal tonic 

Sclerocarya Birrea/ Marula (Anacardiaceae) 

This plant is commonly known as the ‘Tree of Life, the S. Birrea is regarded as a sacred tree in South Africa, both traditionally and also in modern times. This is because of its widespread use, from a source of food to its medicinal abilities.

Various parts of this plant can be used for:

• The bark treats dysentery and diarrhea; 
• The bark when crushed and boiled can also cure malaria; 
• The leaves have a soothing effect from burns and spider bites; 
• Marula oil has been used to cure ENT infections; 
• The fruits can also be used as a pesticide. 

Merwilla Natalensis (Hyacinthaceae) 

Hyacinths are known for their beautifully bright purple appearance. The plant’s traditional name was ‘inguduza’, which is loosely interpreted as ‘getting the cause of the illness from the body. The plant is known to have the ability to heal different ailments, hence the generalizing name. Precisely, it is among the South African plants with great value. 

Here are a few ways this plant can be used to heal you:

• As an antibacterial agent; 
• An anti-inflammatory; 
• Antischistosomal activity; 
• Soothing the skin in case of a wound; 
• As a laxative; 
• As an enema.