Seed Balls

Our biochar seedballs are designed to help supplement the seed stock that survived in the soil after the Knysna fires of 2017, and to help stabilise the sandy soil on the steep slopes of the reserve.

On this page we:

• Explain what our seedballs are made of; and

• Provide a list and descriptions of the indigenous seeds embedded in the seed balls we’re distributing at Featherbed Nature Reserve.

What are seed balls made of...

Our seedballs are made up of seeds embedded in a mix of biochar, compost, clay, and effective micro-organisms (EMs).

Our seedballs are designed for spreading on the fynbos (heathland) and forest areas of the reserve - either by hand, or by catapult (more commonly called a catty in South Africa, or, in Afrikaans, kettie. Shooting kettie was one of our favourite games when we were kids. It still is.)

• Indigenous seeds: 20% of the seed balls in each pack contain seeds of species that grow naturally at Featherbed - either in the critically endangered Knysna Sands Fynbos, or in the coastal scrub forest (technically, ‘Albany thicket’);

• Teff grass seeds: 80% of the seed balls in each pack contain hybridised teff seeds. Teff is an annual grass that’ll help stabilise the sandy slopes of the Reserve, but that won’t reproduce - so it can’t become invasive.

• Biochar: About half of the weight of each seed ball is made of biochar, or carbonised biomass (literally, cooked charcoal. More information below). The biochar will protect the seeds from being eaten by predators like birds or small mammals, and will help to improve conditions in the soil when the seedballs begin to dissolve after they’re drenched by the rain.

• Compost: organic, locally-sourced compost makes up around a quarter of the weight of each seed ball. Its job is to enhance the soil around the germinating seedling, and, like the clay, to help the soil maintain moisture in a form that’ll be available to the plants.

• Clay: also locally-sourced. Besides helping maintain soil moisture, the clay helps bind the dryish, dough-like mixture from which the seed balls are formed.

• Effective Microorganisms: Also locally sourced, “Effective Microorganisms (EM) are mixed cultures of beneficial, naturally-occurring organisms that can be applied as inoculants to increase the microbial diversity of soil ecosystems.” (Permaculture Research Institute)

Our seedballs are formed by tumbling this mixture of biochar, compost, clay, and EMs in rotating drums.

ABOUT BIOCHAR

Biochar is a fine-grained, very porous char product made by ‘cooking’ agricultural waste - or, in the jargon, by “the carbonisation of biomass” (NewCarbon)

This 2,000 year-old process produces a highly effective, fertiliser-free product that:

• Holds carbon permanently in the soil;

• Increases the biodiversity of life and nutrients in the soil (especially when used in conjunction with effective microorganisms);

• Increases the productivity of agricultural and horticultural land - which boosts food security;

• Improves the quality and quantity of moisture and nutrients in the soil by increasing its ability to retain these elements. This retention also has the knock-on effects of improving groundwater and also preventing pollution of the groundwater, as well as lakes and streams, by preventing nutrients from leaching out of the soil.

Biochar is an important tool for combating carbon emissions.

• The process of manufacturing biochar captures carbon from biomass (plant material), which would otherwise release it into the atmosphere in the form of greenhouse gases during the composting process;

• Biochar degrades in the soil only extremely slowly - over hundreds or even thousands of years - so it has significant value in carbon sequestration.

• Sustainable biochar manufacture can produce clean, renewable energy products (fuel and oil).

The biochar we use at Featherbed is manufactured in Knysna by NewCarbon.

The indigenous seed selection:

The plants listed below have all been mixed into our biochar seedballs. Individual seedballs may contain more than one seed, but never more than one species.Common names are given in English and, where available, in Afrikaans and Xhosa, too.

Scroll down for details of the species in our

• Fynbos mix, and

• Forest mix

FYNBOS MIX

Arctotheca calendula

Common names: Cape marigold; Gousblom; isiqwashumbe

FAMILY: ASTERACEAE - the daisies and sunflowers

A colourful, fast-growing, daisy-like annual that forms a fine ground-cover. In the past, the furry, lint-like growth on the undersides of the leaves was scraped off, dried, and used as tinder.

Abutilon sonneratianum

Common names: Wild hibiscus; Wildemalva; iBhosisi yendlebe

FAMILY: MALVACEAE - the mallows

A perennial, occasionally deciduous shrub with bright yellow flowers opening in the late afternoon. It’s used in traditional medicine to strengthen the virility of bulls in the cattle herds in the springtime.

Aloe arborescens

Common names: Krantz aloe; Kransaalwyn; iKalene

FAMILY: ASPHODELACEAE - the asphodels

The fleshy leaves of this multi-headed, shrub-forming aloe are used in traditional medicine to treat various skin ailments. The plant is often cultivated as a hedge around cattle kraals (pens or corrals) in rural areas of Southern Africa. Since it is easily propagated from cuttings, we used it extensively in the rehabilitation of the vegetation at Featherbed Nature Reserve after the Knysna Fires of 2017.

Asparagus asparagoides

Common names: Cape smilax or bridal veil creeper; Narbass; isiCakathi

FAMILY: ASPARAGACEAE - the asparaguses

Cape smilax seedlings were amongst the first to germinate at Featherbed after the Knysna Fires. These plants have very deep roots which bear bulbous storage organs, which makes them valuable in stabilising the soil on the steep slopes of the Reserve. The plant is farmed in parts of South Africa for use in floristry. In African folk medicine it’s used as a purgative, as a balm for sore eyes, and as a fertility charm for cattle.

Carpobrotus edulis

Common names: Sour fig; Suurvy; iKhambi-lamabulawo, umgongozi (Zulu)

FAMILY: AIZOACEAE - the ice plants

The nodes of this robust, fast-growing, succulent groundcover send out roots whenever they settle on the soil. This causes these plants to form thick mats that help bind and stabilise the areas in which they grow. During the fist phase of our rehabilitation project at Featherbed, we made cuttings from sour figs that had germinated in the fynbos (heathland) on the reserve, and planted them by the thousand wherever we needed to quickly cover vulnerable slopes.

So forgiving is the sour fig that we were able to plant these cuttings in areas where irrigation was impossible - and we suffered only minimal losses.

The juice from the leaves is astringent and antiseptic, and has many uses in traditional medicine: for treating sore throat, diarrhoea and stomach cramps, as a salve for insect bites and blue-bottle stings, to ease cuts and grazes, etc. The fruit is edible (hence the common name), and archaeologists have found evidence of its use in ancient Khoi middens all along the Cape coast.

Eriocephalus africanus

Common names: Wild rosemary; Wilderoosmaryn, kapokbos

FAMILY: ASTERACEAE - the daisies and sunflowers

Very common in the fynbos (heathlands), wild rosemary has thin, grey leaves that have evolved to conserve moisture. It bears large numbers of tiny white flowers followed by even smaller seed-heads, which are surrounded by wooly, white hairs, and which cause the plants to look as though they’re covered in snow (snow = ‘kapok’ in Afrikaans).

Often drunk as a tea, the leaves of the wild rosemary were used in traditional medicine to treat everything from coughs and colds to flatulence and colic. They are still used in cooking and potpourri.

Euryops virgineus

Common names: River resin bush, honey euryops; Heuningmagriet

FAMILY: ASTERACEAE - the daisies and sunflower

This much-branched shrub flowers profusely in winter. Its bright yellow blooms smell strongly of honey and are therefore highly attractive to bees and other pollinating insects.

Geranium incanum

Common names: Carpet geranium; Bergtee,

FAMILY: GERANIACEAE - the geraniums

African people and early settlers in South Africa used the leaves of this pretty little groundcover in teas to relieve bladder infections, menstrual problems, and venereal diseases. (Afrikaans bergtee = mountain tea).

Gymnosporia buxifolia

Common names: Common spikethorn, stinking spike-thorn; Pendoring, lemoendoring; umNqaqoba, umhlongwe

FAMILY: CELASTRACEAE - the staff-vines and bittersweets

The sap of this showy, drought-hard shrub or small tree is poisonous, but parts of the plant were nevertheless used in traditional medicine to treat diarrhoea and snake bites. The heavy, hard, fine-grained wood takes an excellent finish, and was at one time used for turning and in furniture manufacture.

Helichrysum dasyanthum. (Image: Nicola van Berkel via iNaturalist)

Common names: Dune helichrysum

FAMILY: ASTERACEAE - the daisies and sunflowers

This shortish, silver-grey shrub bears striking, bright yellow flower-heads in summer - which make it very attractive to insects like bees and sunflowers. It has no known uses in traditional medicine.

Helichrysum petiolare

Common names: Silver bush everlasting; Kooigoed; iMphepho

FAMILY: ASTERACEAE - the daisies and sunflowers

This spreading shrub bears soft, velvety leaves that were used as bedding by the ancient Khoi people (kooigoed = bedding material). The plant was used in traditional medicine to treat chest problems and high blood pressure and to prevent infections. The leaves are burned to repel flies and mosquitos.

Jamesbrittenia microphylla

Common name: Purple phlox

FAMILY: SCROPHULARIACEAE - the figworts

This low-growing shrub with its arrestingly bright purple flowers and tiny, leathery leaves is perfectly adapted to surviving the harsh dry conditions at the coast. The roots and the leaves were used in traditional medicine to ease various skin disorders.

Leonotis leonurus

Common names: Wild dagga, lion's ear; Wildedagga; iMvovo

FAMILY: LAMIACEAE - the mints, deadnettles, and sages

This fast-growing shrub bears its flowers throughout the year, attracting birds as pollinators. Its Greek botanical name refers to the shape of the upper lip of each flower, which is said to resemble a lion’s (leon) ear (otis). The dried leaves were used in traditional medicine as a mild intoxicant (dagga = marijuana), and also for treating everything from tapeworm to itchy skin. The leaves were thought to repel snakes.

Lessertia frutescens

Common names: Sutherlandia, cancer bush; Kankerbos, blaas-ertjie; umNwele

FAMILY: FABACEAE - the legumes (peas, beans, etc.)

This attractive, scrabbling shrub carries its bright red flowers and puffy, balloon-like seed pods at the same time. It is well known in traditional medicine, where it’s been used to treat everything from stomach ailments to chicken pox. More recent studies have investigated its use in the treatment of cancer, and as an immune-booster and appetite stimulant in the treatment of HIV-AIDS. SANBI (The South African National Biodiversity Institute) warns, however, that the plant “should not be regarded as a miracle cure for cancer - its real benefits are as a tonic that will assist the body to mobilize its own resources to cope with the illness. It is known to decrease anxiety and irritability and to elevate the mood.”

Metalasia muricata

Common names: White bristle bush; Blombos.

FAMILY: ASTERACEAE - the daisies and sunflower

A scrambling, heath-like shrub that bears masses of honey-scented flowers in autumn. Bees love it! The white bristle bush is used as a tea in Lesotho, and it’s often planted at the coast to stabilise dunes.

Olea exasperata

Common names: Dune Olive; Slanghout

FAMILY: OLEACEAE - the olives

This short, thin-stemmed shrub was one of the first woody plants to emerge at Featherbed after the Knysna Fires of 2017 - and it was a welcome sight indeed because it sends out suckers, and it therefore quickly stabilised the slopes in the areas it colonised. The Afrikaans, ‘slanghout’ (snake wood), refers to its supposed ability to repel snakes.

Papaver aculeatum

Common names: Bristle poppy; Doringpapawer

FAMILY: PAPAVERACEAE - the poppies

This stunningly beautiful, short-lived, winter-flowering annual is the only poppy endemic to the Southern Hemisphere. After pollination, the bright orange (or rarely red) petals fall quickly away, leaving behind erect capsules whose upper parts are lined with a series of arch-like openings. The dried seeds are dispersed through these openings when the wind shakes the plants. The bristle poppy has no recorded medicinal uses.

Pelargonium capitatum

Common names: Rose-scented pelargonium, coast pelargonium; Kusmalva

FAMILY: GERANIACEAE - the geraniums

The sweet-smelling coast pelargonium is cultivated commercially for its oil of geranium. The leaves can be rubbed onto corns, calluses, and scratches to soften the skin, and a tea made from the plant was used in traditional medicine to cure stomach ailments and kidney and bladder problems.

Senecio elegans

Common names: Wild cineraria; Strandblommetjie

FAMILY: ASTERACEAE - the daisies and sunflower

This beautiful perennial appears in huge drifts across the fynbos during the spring. It is a pioneer species and appeared in massive quantities at Featherbed after the Knysna Fires of 2017. The flowers vary in colour from light pink to light mauve. We have no records of its use in traditional medicine.

Acocanthera oppositifolia

Common names: Bushman's poison; Boesmansgif; iNtlungunyembe

FAMILY: APOCYNACEAE - the dogbanes

The sweet scent of the pinkish-white flowers of the bushman’s poison is deceptive since all parts of this pretty little tree are considered poisonous - although birds love the red, berry-like fruit. The milky sap of the plant was an important ingredient in the make-up of the poison that the San (bushman) people used on the tips of their hunting arrows. In traditional medicine, parts of the tree are used to treat snake bites and spider bites, and also as an emetic to expel intestinal worms.

Canthium inerme

Common names: Turkey-berry or criss-cross turkey-berry; Gewone bokdrol of doringels; umVuthwamini

FAMILY: RUBIACEAE - the coffee family

This much-branched and spiny tree can reach a height of 14 metres when growing in the deep forests, but since it thrives in many different environments, it can also develop as a lower, more spreading, multi-stemmed shrub, especially on exposed slopes at the coast. Parts of the turkey-berry are used in traditional medicine to treat stomach problems; the fruit is edible for humans; the thorny branches make excellent material for kraals (livestock pens); and the wood was used in earlier times for furniture and in wagon-making.

Crotalaria capensis (Image Di Turner via iNaturalist)

Common names: Cape rattle-pod; Kaapse klapperpeul

FAMILY: FABACEAE - the legumes (peas, beans, etc.)

This evergreen, quick-growing shrub or small tree flowers throughout the year, producing particularly showy, pendulous sprays of bright yellow petals in summer (October - April). The fruiting bodies (borne from January to June) dry out to form hollow pods that rattle in the wind. The species name, ‘Crotalaria’ this comes from the Greek, ‘krotalon’ = castanet. Members of the Fabaceae family “have a symbiotic relationship with bacteria that live in their roots: these nitrifying bacteria are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen, making it available to the plant that is hosting them.” (SANBI) After the death of the (often short-lived) legumes, their nitrogen is released into the soil in a form that is available to other plants. This was significant for the environment at Featherbed after the fires of 2017, because members of the legume family make “good pioneers-the first plants to inhabit a damaged or disturbed area, making it more habitable for other plants to also settle themselves.” (SANBI)

Diospyros dichrophylla

Common names: Poison star-apple; Gifsterappel

FAMILY: EBENACEAE - the ebony and persimmon family

Varied in its habit, the poison star-apple can grow as a shrub of between two to three metres, or as a densely canopied tree as tall as 13 metres. The fruit is considered poisonous, and this species does therefore not feature in traditional medicine.

Euclea racemosa

Common names: Sea guarrie or dune guarrie

FAMILY: EBENACEAE - the ebony and persimmon family

The red, purple, or black fruits of this small- to medium-sized tree are fermented to make guarrie vinegar for household use. The beautifully hued, red- to purple wood is fine-grained and heavy. The name guarrie (or gwarri) may be derived from the language of the local Khoe people.

Grewia occidentalis

Common names: Cross-berry; Kruisbessie; umNqabaza FAMILY: MALVACEAE - the mallows

Seedlings of this scrambling shrub were amongst the first to germinate at Featherbed in the wake of the Knysna Fires of June, 2017. The plant’s common name is derived from the shape of its distinctive, four-lobed fruit, which are high in sugar. In traditional practice, these fruits were collected and dried for later use. They could then either be boiled in milk for a delicious, refreshing drink, or used in the brewing of beer. Parts of the plant were used in traditional medicine for treating wounds, impotence, and sterility, and as a shampoo to prevent the hair from turning grey. Root extracts were used as an aid in childbirth.

Other species:

Leucodendron salignum

Common names: Common sunshine conebush; Geelbos

FAMILY: PROTEACEAE - the proteas

Maytenus procumbens

Common names: Dune koko tree; Duinekokoboom; umPhono-phono

FAMILY: CELASTRACEAE - the staff-vines and bittersweets

Colpoon compressum (synonymn: Osyris compressa) Common names: Cape sumach, coast tannin bush; Wildepruim; Mtekaaza, umBalanythi

FAMILY: SANTALACEAE - the sandalwoods

Polygala fruticosa 

Common names: 'Southern Shores' butterfly bush; 'Southern Shores' ertjieblom; umAbalabala

 FAMILY: POLYGALACEAE - the milkworts

Polygala myrtifolia

Common names: September bush; Blouertjie; umAbalabala

FAMILY: POLYGALACEAE - the milkworts

Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus

Common names: Candlewood or cherrywood; Kersiehout; iBholo,

FAMILY: CELASTRACEAE - the staff-vines and bittersweets

Salvia aurea (= Salvia africana-lutea)

Common names: Golden sage or dune sage; Bruinsalie

FAMILY: LAMIACEAE - the mints, deadnettles, and sages

Searsia crenata

Common names: dune crow-berry; Duinekraaibessie FAMILY: ANACARDIACEAE - the cashews and sumacs

Sideroxylon inerme

Common names: White milkwood; Witmelkhout; aMasethole, umQwashu

FAMILY: SAPOTACEAE - the milkwoods

Virgilia divaricata

Common names: Blossom tree; Keurboom

FAMILY: FABACEAE - the legumes (peas, beans, etc.)

Zanthoxylum capense

Common names: Small knobwood; Kleinperdepram; umLungumabele

FAMILY: RUTACEAE - the rues and citruses

Our catalogue of life on the reserve

• Please visit Featherbed on iNaturalist.com to see images of our latest observations of the plants, birds, insects, and other life-forms at Featherbed.