Plants of the Week

Celtis africana

Common names: white stinkwood; witstinkhout (Afr.); umVumvu (Xhosa); uSinga lwesalukazi (Zulu); Modutu (Sotho & Tswane); Mpopano (Venda)

Family: Cannabaceae

There is no doubt that this is an excellent tree to use in a landscape, and it is a rewarding garden tree. It gives shade in summer, and is fast and easy...

03 / 02 / 2003 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clausena anisata

Common names: horsewood (Eng.); perdepis, perdepisboom, lemoenhout, perdeboom, perdebos , perdepisbos , perdepisbossie, stinkbas, basternieshout (Afr.); umnukelambi

Family: Rutaceae

Clausena anisata is a very neat and attractive small tree, that gives off a strong scent that is considered by many to be unpleasant; when the leaves are...

01 / 11 / 2021 | Thamsanqa Msweli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cenchrus ciliaris

Common names: foxtail buffalo grass (Eng.); bloubuffelgras (Afr.)

Family: Poaceae

Cenchrus ciliaris is a perennial, tufted grass. The inflorescence is a bristly 'spike' (like a cat's tail) and is nearly always purple to...

31 / 05 / 2010 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria

Cephalophyllum alstonii

Common names: rankvygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Cephallophyllum alstonii is a creeping perennial succulent, ideal as a ground cover, or as a pot plant on a patio. The spectacular, brightly coloured...

09 / 07 / 2007 | Shireen Harris | National Herbarium Pretoria

Crocosmia paniculata

Common names: zigzag crocosmia (Eng.); waaierlelie (Afr.); khala-ea-bokone, moloke (Sesotho); undwendwi, umlunge (Zulu)

Family: Iridaceae

Crocosmia paniculata is a robust, deciduous geophyte with sculptural, zig-zag flower spikes and attractive, pleated leaves that make it a strong accent...

24 / 04 / 2017 | John Manning | Compton Herbarium

Ceratotheca triloba

Common names: wild foxglove(Eng.); vingerhoedblom (Afr.); ludvonca (Sw); udonqa (Sw,Z); undoncalwabathwa, udonqabathwa (Z)

Family: Pedaliaceae

Flowering during the warm summer and into autumn, this tall elegant annual adds a cool and lush feeling to the garden. In nature they are commonly found...

05 / 03 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ceropegia ampliata

Common names: Bushman's Pipe (Eng.); Boesmanspyp (Afr.)

Family: Apocynaceae

Members of the genus Ceropegia are characterized by tubular flowers specially adapted for the temporary capture of insects for pollination purposes. The...

03 / 05 / 2004 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Crassula fascicularis

Common names: fragrant crassula, sweet-scented crassula (Eng.); ruiksissie, klipblom, karnaatjieblom, keiserskroon (Afr.)

Family: Crassulaceae

An elegant little succulent shrub, with beautiful and fragrant spring flowers, ideal for pots, rockeries and fynbos gardens....

19 / 10 / 2015 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Chaenostoma cordatum

Common names: Trailing phlox (Eng.)

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Chaenostoma cordatum is the ideal groundcover for that garden spot with varying microclimates. Performing equally well in full sun to shady conditions...

15 / 12 / 2008 | Roger Oliver | Pretoria NBG

Chaenostoma pauciflora

Common names: trailing phlox; rankende floks (Afr.)

Family: Scrophulariaceae

This is an attractive, dainty-looking, trailing perennial groundcover with small, triangular, dark leaves and tiny white flowers....

12 / 08 / 2013 | Sthembile Zondi | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Crassula fusca

Common names: stone crop (Eng.)

Family: Crassulaceae

This is an attractive plant and probably one of the most low maintenance Crassula, as it requires little watering and prefers semi-shade.Fig. 1. Crassula...

22 / 11 / 2021 | Kagiso Sharlene Mashego | National Herbarium Pretoria

Cirsium vulgare

Common names: Scottish thistle, spear thistle (Eng.); skotse dissel (Afr.); hlaba (Sesotho); ntsoa-ntsane (Setswana)

Family: Asteraceae

Cirsium vulgare is mostly regarded as a weed or undesirable plant. However, the plants are very attractive and offer lots of rewards for butterflies and...

08 / 05 / 2017 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Chascanum cernuum

Common names: None recorded

Family: Verbenaceae

Chascanum cernuum is a fine-leaved herbaceous perennial covered with whitish flowers for most of the year. It is well-suited to coastal gardens and light...

26 / 07 / 2010 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG

Chasmanthe aethiopica

Common names: small chasmanthe, small cobra lily (Eng.); suurkanolpypie, klein piempiempie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

This attractive species is one of the earliest of the Cape bulbs to flower, its spikes of orange, tubular flowers providing welcome interest to the winter...

21 / 02 / 2005 | John Manning | Compton Herbarium

Chasmanthe bicolor

Common names: red-and-green cobra lily, two-colour chasmanthe (Eng.), suurkanol, suurkanolpypie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Chasmanthe bicolor is a highly ornamental garden subject, which stands out from the other two species in this genus. It is one of three species in the...

21 / 04 / 2008 | Bernard Brown | Kirstenbosch NBG

Chasmanthe floribunda 'Duckittii'

Common names: yellow cobra lily, yellow chasmanthe, Duckitt chasmanthe (Eng.); geelpiempiempie, geelkapelpypie, geelsuurkanolpypie, geelpypie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Chasmanthe floribunda ''Duckittii' is an attractive deciduous, winter-growing, cormous geophyte with fresh green sword-shaped leaves and spikes...

16 / 07 / 2001 | Jacqueline Esau | Kirstenbosch NBG

Conicosia pugioniformis subsp. pugioniformis

Common names: giant clockplant, pigroot, pig salad, narrow-leaved ice plant (Eng.); groot vetkousie, varkslaai, gansies, varkwortel, snotwortel (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

A striking, yellow flowering, die-hard, succulent groundcover, suited to sandy and coastal gardens, rockeries or pots....

02 / 09 / 2019 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cheiridopsis denticulata

Common names: t'noutsiama (Nama)

Family: Aizoaceae

Oh, it's flowering time: it's really awesome to see what mesembs look like when blooming in their natural habitat....

15 / 04 / 2013 | Stemmer Ngalo | Free State NBG

Crassula ericoides subsp. ericoides

Common names: heath crassula, large whipcord (Eng.); malmeidbossie, skilpadbossie (Afr.)

Family: Crassulaceae

A beautiful stand-alone plant that is easy to propagate and works well in pot arrangements and in succulent gardens. This succulent plant is more of a...

02 / 09 / 2019 | Sboniso Zwane | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Cheiridopsis purpurea

Common names: cheiridopsis

Family: Aizoaceae

Cheiridopsis purpurea is a small succulent endemic to the Richtersveld in the Northern Cape, with brilliant, intense, magenta-pink flowers....

02 / 04 / 2012 | Lize Wolfaardt | Karoo Desert NBG

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