TAGASASTE

(Chamaecytisus palmensis/Lucerne tree/Boomlusern)

Tagasaste is a hardy, woody perennial with the same nutritional value as Alfalfa, without the side effect that causes bloating in livestock. It is indigenous to the Canary Islands where it is cultivated and forms a part of the natural vegetation for livestock and wildlife to feed on. Tagasaste has been utilised commercially as a fodder crop in Australia since the early 1980’s and was introduced into South Africa around the same time by Gavin Armstrong.

Tagasaste is fast becoming a popular fodder supplement or alternative for livestock worldwide, where conventional methods are no longer sustainable. Gavin Armstrong has been growing and propagating Tagasaste for over 30 years. Damara Farm has the largest and oldest Tagasaste seed orchard in South Africa.

We sell Tagasaste seed and seedlings straight from the farm. The seedlings are grown in our open ground raised beds and are sold bare-root, making it easy to transport the plants throughout South Africa. We are currently the only suppliers in South Africa to propagate in this way. We do not recommend using polybags, pots or seedling trays for propagating Tagasaste. Our propagation methods are similar to those used for Rooibos tea and grapes for the wine industry.