Durban's Muthi Nursery

SIILVERGLEN CHATSWORTH: restoring the balance between the herbal medicine trade and the conservation of our flora.

The use of shrubs and trees for medicinal and magical purposes is an ancient tribal practice which continues to thrive in South Africa today. Muthi is an important part of African tradition but the growing demand is threatening the continued existence of medicinal plants as herbalists, herb traders and their collectors strip the veld of its natural flora.

Conservationists agree that, in addition to education and law enforcement, the answer lies in establishing a system of growing sufficient medicinal plants to meet the demand. Durban’s Parks Department took the first step towards achieving this six years ago, when it planted the seeds of Africa’s first medicinal plant nursery.

Today the nursery occupies three hectares of the Silverglen Nature Reserve in Chatsworth and contains over 200 medicinal plant species.

If herbalists and traders grew even a small proportion of the plants they needed, this would reduce the need for collectors to seek their plants in the veld. Large organisations like forestry departments, parks and conservation bodies and commercial nurseries are also being encouraged to develop large-scale medicinal plant nurseries to meet the increasing demand and to protect the natural environment.

The shrubs and trees in the nursery are grown from seeds, bulbs, cuttings and tissue culture which is carried out in the department’s laboratory in Botanic Gardens.

In the six years that the nursery has been in operation, many people and organizations have contributed to its growth by supplying plant material and financial support and by sharing their practical experience and knowledge. Dr Tony Cunningham of the Institute of Natural Resources at the Institute of Natural Resources at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg recently completed an investigation of the herbal medicine trade in KwaZulu-Natal which provides practical reference material for future planning. Mkhuluwe Cele, an Umlazi Herbalist, was one of the first Inyangas to cooperate with the Nursery project and now has his own nursery not far from Silverglen.

The muthi nursery has been incorporated into the Visitor’s Centre at the Silverglen Nature Reserve where educational films and lectures are presented and fascinating displays can be seen.

The Parks, Recreation and Beaches Department has produced two audio-visual programmes, "The role of the inyanga (herbalist) in modern society" and "Establishing a medicinal plant nursery" which are available to the public for viewing at Silverglen.

If you’d like to find out more about the muthi nursery or the activities of the Silverglen Visitor’s Centre, telephone (031) 404 5628 between 8:00 - 15:30