The Use of Indigenous Plants in Home and Health Clinic Gardens to Engender Urban Rewilding in the Urban and Peri-urban Areas of the North-West Province, South Africa

Authors

Nanamhla Gwedla, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa; Department of Environmental Science, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South AfricaFollow
Sonja De Beer, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South AfricaFollow
Dikeledi Seshoka, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South AfricaFollow
Sarel S. Cilliers, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South AfricaFollow

There is a need to rethink the sustainability and resilience of cities, where there is often limited availability and access to urban green spaces (UGS). Urban rewilding is an opportune avenue to connect humans to nature. Thus, the aim of this study was to understand the potential for urban re-naturing through home and health clinic gardens (HCGs). This was done through vegetation surveys in the naga (natural area) micro-gardens of 16 HCGs and household surveys with 80 households with home gardens (HGs) in two districts of the North-West province, South Africa. The size of the naga across HCGs ranged from 26-8290 m², with a mean size of 1681.69±597.51 m² per garden. The largest naga had 15 different plant species, 10 of which are indigenous to South Africa, while the smallest had eight species. There were 7.13±0.83 species encountered per naga, and an average of 4.1±0.85 were indigenous to South Africa. Regarding respondents’ awareness of HCGs, 94% indicated awareness of the HCG closest to their homes, while 79% mentioned that they had seen and visited the HCG. Awareness of indigenous plants in the North-West province and across South Africa was confirmed by 93% of respondents who all mentioned at least one type of indigenous plant. Most respondents (70%) reported familiarity with Artemisia afra Jacq. ex Willd., citing its use for respiratory ailments and Covid-19, followed by a variety of Aloe species (55%). Most respondents (57%) reported that they neither have nor cultivate indigenous plants in their HGs, citing that the plants mostly grow in spaces away from where people typically reside, and religious reasons. The remaining 43% of respondents who indicated growing at least one indigenous plant in their HGs also indicated their use of the plants for general well-being and food. The predominant sentiment among these respondents was related to the importance of access to these plants as they serve more than just physical relief in terms of general well-being, but spiritual and mental relief too. While they are aware of indigenous plants found in the North-West region, 80% of respondents reported that they had never sighted any of the plants in HCGs. Ten respondents who indicated sighting of at least one type of indigenous plant in their closest HCG indicated that they have also harvested those plants. An understanding of the perceptions of institutional stakeholders on the use and harvesting practices of indigenous plants species in HCGs, and what steps can be taken to communicate the safe consumption and use of indigenous plant species is a progressive step towards the reinforcement of policies that advocate for the establishment and maintenance of HCGs, as well as engendering knowledge upscaling for households to apply some of these techniques in their cultivation and use of indigenous plant species in HGs.

Recommended Citation

Gwedla, Nanamhla; De Beer, Sonja; Seshoka, Dikeledi; and Cilliers, Sarel S. (2025) "The Use of Indigenous Plants in Home and Health Clinic Gardens to Engender Urban Rewilding in the Urban and Peri-urban Areas of the North-West Province, South Africa," Cities and the Environment (CATE): Vol. 18: Iss. 1, Article 9.
DOI: 10.15365/1932-7048.1393
Available at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cate/vol18/iss1/9

DOI

10.15365/1932-7048.1393