Plants of the Week

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E.g., 11/02/2026
E.g., 11/02/2026

Pillansia templemannii

Pillansia templemannii
Common names: pillansia, fireflag
Family: Iridaceae

Pillansia templemannii is a fynbos geophyte, with upright, strap-shaped leaves and bright orange, bowl-shaped flowers in late spring. This plant is fire-dependent...

| Loretta Floors | Harold Porter NBG
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Eriosema luteopetalum

Eriosema luteopetalum
Common names: yellow-petal eriosema, yellow-petal wild indigo
Family: Fabaceae

Recognized for its bright yellow flowers and soft golden stems, Eriosema luteopetalum is a striking perennial subshrub with a naturally limited range from...

| Lungisani Zondi | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Crassula perforata subsp. kougaensis

Crassula perforata subsp. kougaensis
Common names: Kouga sosatie crassula (Eng.), Kouga-sosatieplakkie, Kouga-inrygertjie (Afr.
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula perforata subsp. kougaensis is a dwarf cliff-hanger, with pendent branches densely covered in leaves and forming a 4-angled cylindrical body bearing...

| Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Trichodiadema stayneri

Trichodiadema stayneri
Common names: Stayner’s diadem vygie (Eng.); kareemoer (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Trichodiadema stayneri is a mat-forming succulent with bright mauve flowers and bristle-tipped leaves. It was presumed to be extinct because it was last...

| Ntsakisi Masia | Kwelera NBG
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Ledebouria altopaludosa

Ledebouria altopaludosa
Common names: cloud African hyacinth
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Compact dwarf bulbous plant with broad rounded leaves and pale lilac flowers, found in high altitude wetlands on the edges of peat mires. Easy to grow...

| Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Secamone alpini

Secamone alpini
Common names: monkey rope, russet secamone (Eng.), bobbejaantou, bostou (Afr.), iyeza lentloko, ityholo (isiXhosa), inyazangoma (isiZulu)
Family: Apocynaceae

Robust climber or sometimes a scrambling shrub, with milky latex, glossy dark green leaves and rope-like stems, found along forest margins in thicket,...

| Nonhlanhla Masinga | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Lobelia pinifolia

Lobelia pinifolia flowers and developing fruits
Common names: pine-leaf lobelia, wild lobelia (Eng.)
Family: Lobeliaceae

Hardy, fine-leaved small shrub from the fynbos. Very rewarding since it can light up your garden over the warm summer months. More rewards are in store...

| Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Polhillia stirtoniana

Polhillia stirtoniana
Common names: sickle renosterpea (Eng.)
Family: Fabaceae

A newly described Renosterveld pea family plant, characterized by bright yellow flowers, silvery leaves and dense terminal branching that shapes it into...

| Hlengiwe Mtshali | TSP
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Stachys thunbergii

Stachys thunbergii in flower in habitat, George area
Common names: smooth woundwort, smooth hedgenettle, Cape catnip (Eng.), kattekruie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

A sprawling aromatic perennial herb with prickly stems and whorls of reddish to purple tubular flowers in summer....

| Bontle Matetoane | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Albuca setosa

Albuca setosa flowers
Common names: thick slime-lily, bristly albuca, small white albuca, soldier-in-the-box (Eng), diktamarak, slymstok, slymuintjie, snotblom (Afr), mototse (Sesotho),
Family: Asparagaceae

Albuca setosa commonly known as thick slime-lily, is a member of the Asparagus family, and endemic to southern Africa. It is a deciduous perennial geophyte...

| Sharlotte Kwenaite | Free State NBG
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Crassula pseudhemisphaerica

Crassula pseudhemisphaerica in habitat at Spitskloof
Common names: mottled cliff-crassula (Eng.), bont-kransrosie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula pseudhemisphaerica is a dwarf, cluster-forming, cliff-hugging succulent to 200 mm high when in flower, with distinctly mottled leaves in...

| Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Lotononis lotononoides

Lotononis lotononoides
Common names: lotononis (Eng), mosita-tlali (Sesotho)
Family: Fabaceae

Lotononis lotononoides is not a well-known species, but, this evergreen shrub still has something to offer even when it is not in flower. Its distinctive...

| Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Adenandra villosa

Adenandra villosa
Common names: hairy chinaflower (Eng.), porseleinblom (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

Adenandra villosa is a Western Cape endemic shrublet with aromatic leaves and bright white flowers in spring....

| A Jakoet | Compton Herbarium
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Crassula montana subsp. montana

Crassula montana subsp. montana
Common names: mountain crassula (Eng.), bontbergplakkie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula montana subsp. montana is a dwarf solitary to sparingly or densely dividing plant with mottled leaves in tight, cup-shaped rosettes and a spike-like...

| Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Berkheya angusta

Berkheya angusta flowering in habitat
Common names: shrub Cape thistle, narrow berkheya
Family: Asteraceae

A woody shrub characterized by its spiny narrow leaves, and yellow flower heads typical of the Berkheya genus, that stands out for its striking appearance...

| Mashudu Tshitereke | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Crassula montana subsp. quadrangularis

Crassula montana subsp. quadrangularis
Common names: square cliff-crassula (Eng.), vierhoekige kransplakkie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula montana subsp. quadrangularis is a densely dividing cliff-hugging plant with leaves in tight square rosettes and white to pinkish flowers in flat-topped...

| Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Rosettea princeps

Rosettea princeps
Common names: purple wild tibouchina, royal dissotis, purple rosettea, wild tibouchina, (Eng.); kalwerbossie (Afr.); sichobochobo, umpongamponga (SiSwati)
Family: Melastomataceae

Rosettea princeps is an outstanding garden plant with magnificent flowers and decorative foliage. It is easy to grow, and is ideal for the water or vlei...

| Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Argyrella canescens

Argyrella canescens
Common names: pink wild tibouchina, pink marsh dissotis, ordeal bean (Eng.); pienkkalwerbossie (Afr.); imfeyesele, imfeyenkala, uhlazifukwe oluncane (isiZulu), sich
Family: Melastomataceae

This pretty shrub looks remarkably like a dwarf version of the related South American tibouchina trees (Tibouchina and Pleroma spp.) which are grown in...

| Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Aponogeton distachyos

Waterblommetjies in Kirstenbosch
Common names: Cape pondweed, water onion, water asparagus (Eng.); waterblommetjie, vleikos, wateruintjie (Afr.)
Family: Aponogetonaceae

This is a well known local delicacy for the cold winter months. It has become so popular that many commercial plantings have been made in ponds around...

06 / 08 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Acmadenia heterophylla

Acmadenia heterophylla
Common names: variable-leaf acmadenia
Family: Rutaceae

This is a delicate looking shrub with starry pink flowers and a sweet lemony scent when touched. It belongs to the citrus family (Rutaceae) with most of...

14 / 08 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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