Faires in the garden

We are at the beginning of winter here in South Africa and the succulents are all starting to respond with their winter finery--the first being the Crassula multicava (Fairy crassula), which is already sporting its beautiful pink little stars. This is a true shade-loving succulent with glossy, oval-to-round leaves that are slightly darker in shade than in full sun. The flowers are petite, charming little stars, hence the common name fairy crassula, and appear in masses above the attractive leaves. The leaves contain hydathodes (water-secreting pores), which serve for rapid absorption of water from the leaf surface.

Because of its free-seeding, easy rooting and perennial nature, Crussula multicava is not endangered and generally occurs in abundance in its natural habitat. Since planting 5 little seedlings a few years ago, they have spread rapidly and I actually have to thin them out every season or else ... or else what? I don't actually know! lol! A garden covered in pink little stars wouldn't be that bad! 

Crassula multicava, indigenous to South Africa, occurs on forest margins, river and stream banks, and in coastal and subtropical thickets from Mpumulanga and KwaZulu-Natal to the Eastern and southern Cape. Plants show a preference for well-composted, deep soils as well as clay soils and occur in partial shade. They are found in sheltered frost-free areas.

During their "dormant" season, which is summer, they form a beautiful ground-cover and are excellent for borders.

Apart from seed dispersal, the plants easily root and spread from leaves that fall or break off from the mother plant. They also propagate themselves by producing plantlets on the flowerhead that drop off onto the soil beneath the parent plant, and develop into independent plants. During late summer they cover the ground in a thick carpet of tiny buds.

So, if you plant a few (maybe stolen from a friend?) multicava's, you will never be without a gift for another gardening friend!

::

Eugenia uniflora and my quandry (Surrinam Cherry)

An unknown (uninvited) newcomer to my garden—didn’t know if it’s a weed or whether it’s a tree — I guess time will tell. But if uninvited “visitors” keep showing up (like the Juncus - common Rush - on the right) I’ll have to start rethinking my “succulent gatden” category …

Upon doing some research, it turns out that it is a Surrinam Cherry (Eugenia uniflora), which is an evergreen shrub or small tree often used for screening or hedges native to tropical South America. It is known for glossy, dark green leaves that can turn reddish, especially on new growth. It is well-known for it’s glossy leaves and tangy red fruit, which birds love. 

However, because it adapts aggressively to subtropical conditions, it is classified as an invasive species in South Africa and poses a threat to indigenous biodiversity. It easily invades coastal forests—particularly in KwaZulu Natal—displacing native vegetation.

So here’s my quandry—food for wildlife is under constant threat as we all know (I won’t go into details, that’s a post on it’s own) and I like planting my garden with plants that include food for birds, insects and wildlife, so the Surrinam Cherry is high on that list. But if I want to keep this tree in my garden, I’m going to have to constantly monitor it’s growth, remiving flowers before they can turn into berries and constantly prune it to keep it at a managable height. 

Maybe it’s not worth keeping if it’s not going to be serving any useful purpose …

::