Plants of the Week

Browse through all previous entries of Plants Of The Week

  • Sort by date added
  • Sort Alphabetically
Go to Plants of the Week Advanced Search
E.g., 25/02/2026
E.g., 25/02/2026

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
Read More

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
Read More

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
Read More

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
Read More

Alepidea setifera

Alepidea setifera
Common names: bristlestalk ministar (Eng.)
Family: Apiaceae

Alepidea setifera is a little-known indigenous herb with bristly-edged leaves and finely hairy flowering stems, producing delicate white to cream flower...

| Lungisani Zondi | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
Read More

Drimia delagoensis

Drimia delagoensis
Common names: Delagoa poison squill (Eng.), wildejeukui (Afr.); isiklenama, umahlangenisa (isiZulu)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This is not a showy plant in ornamental horticulture, however, for enthusiasts of succulents and dry-garden plants, it adds valuable textural interest...

| Mashudu Nndanduleni | Thohoyandou NBG
Read More

Diascia namaquensis

Diascia namaquensis
Common names: Namaqualand twinspur (Eng.); bokhorinkies, ramhorinkies (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

South Africa is home to more than 70 species of Diascia, and, although not widely cultivated, one of the most rewarding to grow in a garden is the annual...

| Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Crassula montana subsp. borealis

Crassula montana subsp. borealis after rain
Common names: Namaqua mountain crassula (Eng.), Namakwa-bergplakkie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula montana subsp. borealis is a densely dividing, mat-forming, cliff-hugging plant with distinctly mottled and shallowly pitted leaves in tight cup-shaped...

| Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

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
Read More

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
Read More

Dimorphotheca pluvialis

Spring annuals at Kirstenbosch
Common names: rain daisy, Cape daisy, white Namaqualand Daisy, ox-eye daisy (Eng.); reënblommetjie, witbotterblom, witmargriet (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Dimorphotheca pluvialis is always one of the first spring annuals to flower at Kirstenbosch....

21 / 08 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Heliophila coronopifolia

Heliophila coronopifolia
Common names: Blue Flax, Wild Flax, Showy Sunflax (E), Blousporrie, Sporries (A)
Family: Brassicaceae

This dainty, blue annual is an absolute delight when it comes into flower. Upright and graceful, with small cups of bright blue flowers,the plants appear...

28 / 08 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Erica 'Gengold'

Erica 'Gengold' (Peter Swart)
Common names: Gengold Heath
Family: Ericaceae

It is not often that one unearths a gem that has developed by chance. The hybridisation of two species of Erica in the Harold Porter National Botanical...

30 / 08 / 2000 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Leucospermum cordifolium

Leucospermum cordifolium 'Vlam'
Common names: Pincushion, Common Pincushion (Eng.); Speldekussing, Bobbejaanklou, Luisiesboom, Luisiesbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

From the middle of July to the end of November groups of Leucospermum cordifolium shrubs provide vivid splashed of orange and red in the Fynbos...

11 / 09 / 2000 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Pelargonium cordifolium

Pelargonium cordifolium
Common names: heart-leaved pelargonium
Family: Geraniaceae

Pelargonium cordifolium is a spreading, branched aromatic shrub, reaching a height of more than 1.5 metres....

18 / 09 / 2000 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Cyclopia genistoides

Cyclopia genistoides
Common names: Honeybush tea, Heuningbos
Family: Fabaceae

Honeybush is well known in the Cape, not so much as a garden shrub, but as a herbal tea....

25 / 09 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Leucadendron argenteum

Leucadendron argenteum growing wild on the Kirstenbosch Estate.
Common names: silver tree (Eng.), witteboom, silwerboom (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

The sight of these giant silver proteas against the mountain must be one of nature's finest and is one to treasure. These beautiful trees, with their...

02 / 10 / 2000 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Acacia nigrescens

This plant is now called Senegalia nigrescens....

12 / 10 / 2000 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Leucospermum oleifolium

Leucospermum oleifolium
Common names: Overberg pincushion, tufted pincushion (Eng.); overbergse-speldekussing (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

One of the most rewarding and charming pincushions to plant on its own in a small garden, or together with other fynbos plants in a larger garden....

23 / 10 / 2000 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Lampranthus roseus

Lampranthus roseus
Common names: rose vygie, roosvygie
Family: Aizoaceae

Commonly cultivated shrubby succulents, covered with brilliant pink flowers in spring...

30 / 10 / 2000 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More