Plants of the Week

Triumfetta sonderi

Common names: Sonder’s truimfetta (Eng.); waaierbossie, maagbossie, rolbossie, spinnekopbossie, tolbossie (Afr.); mokuku (Sepedi)

Family: Malvaceae

A beautiful shrub from the grasslands, with small, star-shaped, light yellow flowers and attractive rounded, pinkish-red, hairy fruits....

13 / 06 / 2016 | Refilwe Maria Malatji | Pretoria NBG

Trichocephalus stipularis

Common names: dogface (Eng.); hondegesiggie (Afr.)

Family: Rhamnaceae

A hardy, rounded shrublet, with evergreen dark foliage, starry pink flowers in white-woolly, rounded flowerheads in autumn and winter followed by reddish,...

20 / 06 / 2016 | Ramadimetja Junia Maleka | Kirstenbosch NBG

Trifolium africanum

Common names: erasmus clover, wild clover (Eng.); wildeklawer (Afr.); mmusapelo, moroko, musapelo, mokopshwe, mootsapelo, moqoiqoi, moqophi, (Sesotho)

Family: Fabaceae

...

26 / 03 / 2018 | Marianne le Roux | National Herbarium Pretoria

Trimeria grandifolia subsp. grandifolia

Common names: wild-mulberry, big ears, big-leaf trimeria (Eng.); grootblaarwildemoerbei, grootblaarysterhout, wildemoerbei, lindeboom (Afr.); idlebe-lendlovu, igqab

Family: Salicaceae

This is a fast-growing, small to medium-sized, single stemmed tree, with decorative foliage that truly resembles the forest raisin tree, as well as the...

09 / 04 / 2018 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Tabernaemontana elegans

Common names: toad tree (Eng.); laeveldse paddaboom (Afr.); umKhahlwana, umKhadlu (Zulu); muchanga (Shona)

Family: Apocynaceae

Tabernaemontana elegans is a beautiful bushveld tree that can be recognised by its large, glossy leaves, fragrant white flowers and large fruit borne...

06 / 09 / 2010 | M Cheek | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Tabernaemontana ventricosa

Common names: forest toad tree (Eng; bospaddaboom (Afr.); uKhamamasane (Zulu)

Family: Apocynaceae

This tree, with its unusual fruits, is excellent for gardeners wanting to bring nature back into their garden — it attracts birds, insects and small...

17 / 01 / 2005 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG

Tamarix usneoides

Common names: wild tamarix, dabbie, daweb (Eng.); abiekwasgeelhout, dabbie, dabees, dawee, daweep, dawib, dawip, soutboom (Afr.)

Family: Tamaricaceae

Tamarix usneoides is an evergreen shrubby tree of semideserts and karooid areas, with short scaly trunk, leafy branches usually extending from ground...

23 / 01 / 2012 | Nonkululo Phephu | National Herbarium Pretoria

Tapinanthus oleifolius

Common names: lighting matches, mistletoe (Eng.); voëlent, vuurhoutjie (Afr.); boletswa (Northern Sotho); nzunzu ( Venda )

Family: Loranthaceae

Tapinanthus oleifolius is one of the best known of the evergreen half-parasitic shrubs growing on other trees and shrubs. The sticky seeds are deposited...

26 / 09 / 2005 | Cathbert Makgakga | National Herbarium Pretoria

Tapinanthus rubromarginatus

Common names: red mistletoe, bird lime, lighted candles; voelent, vuurhoutijies (A)

Family: Loranthaceae

This is a semi-parasitic aerial shrub with specialized roots called haustoria that grow into the wood of the host plant and extracts oil minerals...

24 / 09 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Thamnochortus acuminatus

Common names: goldhead thatchreed (Eng.)

Family: Restionaceae

A dwarf, densely tufted restio, which shows off its large inflorescences, golden-tan sheaths and bracts in spring, when flowering. ...

29 / 06 / 2020 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG

Tarchonanthus trilobus var. trilobus

Common names: three-lobed tarchonanthus, three-lobed camphor bush, trident camphor bush ( Eng. ), drietandkanferbos (Afr.), isiMemela, iGqeba-lamatshe (Xhosa), isiD

Family: Asteraceae

Tarchonanthus trilobus var. trilobus is a shapely, small, evergreen tree with decorative, aromatic foliage, well-suited to today's smaller...

24 / 09 / 2007 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Turraea floribunda

Common names: honeysuckle-tree, wild honeysuckle-tree (Eng.); kanferfoelieboom (Afr.); umdlozana (Swazi); umadlozane (isiZulu)

Family: Meliaceae

This is a slender, elegant tree that is ideal for small subtropical and tropical gardens. The tracery of leafless branches is covered in spring with a...

16 / 02 / 2015 | John Manning | Compton Herbarium

Tarchonanthus camphoratus

Common names: camphor bush (E), moologa (V), mofahlana (S.Sotho), igqeba emlimhlophe (Z), wildekanferbos (A), mofathla (T)

Family: Asteraceae

This interesting small tree with its attractive grey foliage is particularly suited to tough conditions. It was a very variable and widespread species...

27 / 05 / 2002 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Tarchonanthus littoralis

Common names: coastal camphor bush ( Eng. ); kuskanferbos (Afr.); isiduli selindle (Xhosa); igqeba-elimhlophe, isidulu-sehlathi (Zulu)

Family: Asteraceae

For a small evergreen tree that will thrive in windy, coastal conditions, through drought, and in nutrient-poor, sandy soil, look no further than Tarchonanthus...

07 / 04 / 2008 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Tavaresia barklyi

Common names: Devil's trumpet (E); bergghaap, katstert (A); olukatai (Ndonga, Ovamboland, northern Namibia); okukato lekadi, olukato lendume (Kwanyama, Ovamboland,

Family: Apocynaceae

The neat appearance of the ribbed stems furnished with bristles at first reminds one of a cactus, but when the bizarre trumpet-shaped flowers appear, one...

06 / 12 / 2010 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Tetragonia fruticosa

Common names: sprawling sea coral, trailing dune-spinach (Eng.); kinkelbossie, kinkelklappers, kleinsaadklappiesbrak, klimopkinkelbossie, porseleinbos, slaaibos, wa

Family: Aizoaceae

A bushy shrub with a yellow-green appearance and a red tinge, and in bright sunlight it appears to glisten, because the plant is covered in striking, minute...

19 / 12 / 2022 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG

Tecomaria capensis

Common names: Cape honeysuckle, tecomaria (Eng.); Kaapse kanferfoelie, trompetters (Afr.); malangula (Swazi); umsilingi, icakatha (Xhosa); lungana, incwincwi, uchac

Family: Bignoniaceae

...

23 / 04 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Tephrosia kraussiana

Common names: inSangwana (isiZulu); isiPhungo (isiZulu: smelling)

Family: Fabaceae

Tephrosia kraussiana is relatively easy to cultivate. Its pinkish-purple flowers will add colour to gardens....

05 / 03 / 2012 | Anisha Dayaram | TSP

Terminalia sericea

Common names: mususu (Venda); silver cluster-leaf or silver terminalia (Eng.); vaalboom (Afr.)

Family: Combretaceae

Terminalia sericea is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree which grows up to 9 m, but individual trees can reach 23 m in height....

06 / 02 / 2012 | T.T. Masupa | National Herbarium Pretoria

Tetradenia riparia

Common names: misty plume bush, ginger bush (English); gemmerbos, watersalie (Afrikaans); iboza, ibozane (Zulu)

Family: Lamiaceae

An encounter with Tetradenia riparia in flower in the wintry, dry bush is most surprising. There is the impression of soft lilac mist on bare...

25 / 06 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

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