By Isla Grundy The generic name Bolusanthus honours Harry Bolus (1834 to 1911) who was a South African botanist and the founder of the Cape Town Bolus Herbarium at UCT. The specific name speciosus means beautiful or showy in Latin. Other common names are mukwashanyama (S) and impaca (N). This is my favourite of all indigenous trees. It is […]
By Isla Grundy One most versatile palms to grow is Chamaedorea cataractarum, which originates from Mexico. They grow best in moist, wet forest but can tolerate some dry conditions. They are the most rewarding plants both for landscaping and floral arranging – I adore them. It is one of the rare rheophytes in the palm
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Sunbirds are surely one of the most popular and delightful of bird families. The male birds at least can be described as such. The females can be recognised by their habits, size, and bills, but they are usually dull grey, brown, or olive-coloured and have no metallic flash.Since they frequently move around in pairs, one
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Tracy Mapfumo Insects are often recognised as pests or nuisances, yet they playan essential role in increasing food security and providing ecosystem services (pollination, waste degradation, and biological control). Edible insects are a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals – hence they can be used for food both for people and livestock. Some are also efficient
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By Jess Lovemore “We aim to give the children of Zimbabwe HOPE for a better future. A future which is as inevitable as the very nature of ticking time.” The Foundations Project was founded in May 2011 by Martha Damu and Charlotte Haggie, two visionaries with an unbreakable love for Zimbabwe’s children. The conception of
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By JP Felu Down under it might be called Vachellia karroo, but I will stick to the name “Acacia.” After all, the first Acacia specimen (Acacia nilotica) was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1773 in Africa. Its common names are Sweet Thorn, Isinga (Ndebele), and Munenje (Shona). This tree is part of the Fabaceae family,
By Tracy Mapfumo One can never have enough of the many wild fruits available in Zimbabwe! The false wild medlar (Vangueriopsis lanciflora) is an astounding fruit. In Shona the wild medlar is called matufu and in Ndebele it is called umviyo or umsomosomo. In Africa a number of medlars exist, but V. lanciflora is considered
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By Rufaro Mangwende A love of reading will serve your children for a lifetime. They will become better students and writers, have a better vocabulary, and know more about the world around themselves. Libraries are a great way to get them started down this path. My husband and I relocated back to Zimbabwe in 2011,
By Morag Flight The Tiger Flower is one of my favourites, and I grew them in Karoi with great results. When we left I neglected to take the corms with me and have been searching since. On a recent trip to Nyanga I was delighted to find some at Froggy Farm. The Tigridia is commonly called
By Chloe Mesikano Razemba, Zimbo Green Zimbo Green was started by a group of people who are sick and tired of the appalling state of our once-beautiful “Sunshine City.” We are a strictly apolitical group of volunteers who just want things to return back to their decent, functional state in Zimbabwe. The “Zimbo” in our
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