Warnings of overexploitation for South Africa's Honeybush
Honeybush, one of South Africa's rarest indigenous flowering plants, is in danger of extinction due to unsustainable harvesting practices of the past decade, local experts have warned. Currently there are about 200 hectares of cultivated Honeybush in the mountain ranges of South Africa's Southern and Eastern Cape regions, but demand for honeybush tea far outweighs supply, with over 80% of it exported to the US, Germany and the UK. Conservationists say the local industry needs to protect the species from extinction by using permits and regulations to limit supply. Nurseries are also set up and used by farmers to relieve pressure on natural sources of the plant.