This is one extremely powerful antifungal plant. When we started putting this post together this morning, we found the following:

Results: The plant extract killed 99.5% of all the test isolates in less than 30 seconds while chlorhexidine gluconate killed 40% and 20% and triclosan 55% and 35% of C. albicans strains isolated from HIV positive and HIV negative patients respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the results of the two study groups and between chlorhexidine gluconate and triclosan.

Conclusion: The plant Dodonea angustifolia killed all the strains of C. albicans isolated from HIV positive and HIV negative patients in a shorter time than chlorhexidine gluconate and triclosan.

Ok, that is just amazing. A plant, that is twice as effective in helping HIV patients than new age muti. We like it. Let’s take two steps back and learn a little more about this wonderful species.

Common names

(Afrikaans) : bosysterhout, gansiebos, sandolien, sandolyf, ysterhoutbos
(English) : giant bush hop, sand olive
(Swahili) : mkaa-pwani

Botanic description

Dodonaea angustifolia is a variable shrub or tree, usually 2-8 m tall; branchlets rusty red and resinous; bark dark grey, fissured and peeling. Leaves simple lanceolate, pale green, margins untoothed; leaf tip round or pointed; 5-10 cm long, 5-8 mm wide; leaves secrete gummy exudate – thus appearing shiny always. Flowers inconspicuous, pale green; sepals greenish-yellow, petals absent; stamens brown. Fruits pale green, sometimes inflated; 3-winged, wings pale brown or coral pink. Seed black, smooth.

Its also hugely effective in erosion control: Sand olive roots are soil binding and effective in soil conservation. Shade or shelter: The plant is a shade provider. Reclamation: Widely used in arid areas to bind sand or reclaim marshes, an excellent choice for sand dune fixation and erosion control.

All around, just an amazing species. That has perked our day right up. Hope yours has been off to just as good a start. Have a fantastic weekend. The wonderful Cape is going to do its best to fry us out, but that’s why we have Semillon and Shiraz Rose…

At times, in the middle of a storm, there is a moment where everything will make sense in this crazy world. Little rewards for the hard work we put in on a daily basis. Last night our web guy was alerted to the image attached on this post, which simply put, has us as the number 1 farm on the website of those amazing people, Spit or Swallow.

The site is user generated and we have to admit we had no idea that we were even approaching this. We enjoy the way Anel and her team approach the wine industry and their enthusiasm, but we are not the kind of people who check the site all the time. Unfortunately time does just not allow this at the moment what with harvest and babies and all the wonderful things that crazy season brings.

A big thank you to everyone who were wine flies at the farm, who submitted a review of the farm, but most of all, who found the farm great. We are humbled by this little bonus in our week, but its all thanks to you amazing people who love the farm, almost as much as we do.

Thank you.

For others who want to rate the farm, please click the link here!