Plants of the Week

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E.g., 15/09/2024
E.g., 15/09/2024

Salvia muirii

Salvia muirii
Common names: Muir's wild sage (Eng.), wildesalie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

There are many fascinating plants in the sage family. As garden plants, some may be more interesting than beautiful, but Salvia muirii, with its large...

25 / 02 / 2002 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Scabiosa genus

Scabiosa genus
Common names: scabious, scabiosa, pincushion
Family: Dipsacaceae

...

25 / 12 / 2023 | Mulweli Maswoliedza | Compton Herbarium
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Salvia namaensis

Salvia namaensis shrub
Common names: Nama sage (Eng.)
Family: Lamiaceae

The petite pretty flowers and water-wise, hardy nature of Salvia namaensis will add herbaceous charm to any garden....

05 / 09 / 2011 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Salvia repens

Salvia repens
Common names: creeping sage (Eng.); kruipsalie (Afr.); usikiki (Xho.)
Family: Lamiaceae

As another member of the interesting sage family, this creeping sage with its aromatic leaves and abundance of flowers in summer, is a perennial worth...

24 / 11 / 2003 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Sansevieria hallii

Sansevieria hallii
Common names: sickle-leaf mother-in-law’s-tongue (Eng.); sekelblaar-skoonma-se-tong (Afr.)
Family: Ruscaceae

Sansevieria hallii represents a rare succulent, with mottled, sickle-shaped leaves and beautiful white flowers. It is confined to the northeastern parts...

06 / 03 / 2017 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Salvia schlechteri

Salvia schlechteri
Common names: Xobo Valley sage
Family: Lamiaceae

Little is known about Salvia schlechteri, but with its unusual foliage and pale blue flowers, it deserves a place amid a herbaceous border or summer...

02 / 12 / 2013 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Salvia thermarum

Flowers
Common names: Goudini sage (Eng.)
Family: Lamiaceae

S. thermarum (also sometimes mistakenly called S. thermara), with its pale red flowers and red bracts, makes a beautiful garden specimen. An added bonus...

03 / 01 / 2005 | De La Cruz P | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Synaptolepis oliveriana

Synaptolepis oliveriana
Common names: chalk-stick root (Eng); uvuma omhlophe (isiZulu)
Family: Thymelaeaceae

Synaptolepis oliveriana is a much-branched, scrambling shrub, with spear-shaped leaves and sweetly scented, creamy yellow flowers in summer; the plant...

13 / 09 / 2021 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Samolus porosus

Samolus porosus
Common names: water-pimpernel
Family: Theophrastaceae

Samolus porosus is a very adaptable herbaceous plant found growing in a variety of moist or wet habitats and often under harsh coastal conditions....

19 / 03 / 2012 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Sandersonia aurantiaca

Flowers
Common names: Christmas bells (Eng.); geelklokkie (Afr.); ushayabhici (Zulu); ihlamvu (Zulu)
Family: Colchicaceae

Seldom seen in cultivation in southern Africa, the highly ornamental, lantern-like flowers of Sandersonia aurantiaca are universally admired,...

25 / 12 / 2006 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Senegalia ataxacantha

A.ataxacantha flowers
Common names: Flamethorn (E), Vlamdoring / Rank wag-'n-bietjie (Afr), umThathawe (Z), Mologa (N.Sotho), Mogôkatau (Setsw), Muluwa (V), umNga (X).
Family: Fabaceae

The most striking feature of this plant are the deep red to purple-red pods which are held in conspicuous bunches and account for the common name "flame...

14 / 05 / 2001 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Satyrium carneum

Satyrium carneum
Common names: pink satyr orchid (Eng.); rooikappie, rooi-trewwa, ewwa-trewwa (Afr.)
Family: Orchidaceae

Satyrium carneum, an endemic orchid in Western Cape from the Cape Peninsula to Riversdale, is becoming increasingly local and rare....

10 / 11 / 2003 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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Searsia pondoensis

Searsia pondoensis
Common names: many-veined currant (Engl.); veelnerftaaibos (Afr.); inHlangushane (SiSwati)
Family: Anacardiaceae

The many-veined currant is a relatively small perennial re-sprouter with green to greyish foliage, confined to grassland and open woodland....

07 / 09 / 2015 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Struthiola dodecandra

Struthiola dodecandra
Common names: sweet gonna, pink featherhead (Eng.); soetgonna, katstertjie, heuningblommetjie (Afr.)
Family: Thymelaeaceae

Struthiola dodecandra is an erect shrublet with white or pink, night-scented flowers arranged in long spikes at the tips of the slender stems, which makes...

22 / 01 / 2024 | Caroline Marima | Harold Porter NBG
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Senegalia caffra

Flowers of Senegalia caffra
Common names: common hook-thorn, cat thorn(English); gewone haakdoring, katdoring (Afrikaans); umTholo (Zulu); Motholo (N. Sotho); Morutlhare (Tswana); Mbvhinya-xih
Family: Fabaceae

This beautiful tree is the most common naturally occurring senegalia in the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden. It may reach up to 14m and has an...

22 / 10 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Satyrium coriifolium

Flowers
Common names: golden satyr orchid (Eng.); ewwa-trewwa, goue-trewwa, ouma-trewwa, rooi-trewwa (Afr.)
Family: Orchidaceae

With its brightly coloured yellow or orange-red flowers, Satyrium coriifolium is one of the most attractive terrestrial orchids of the Cape Floristic...

29 / 08 / 2005 | H Kurzweil | Compton Herbarium
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Sporobolus africanus

Sporobolus africanus
Common names: rat’s tail dropseed, rat’s tail grass, rush grass, tough dropseed (Eng.); fynsaadgras, saadgras, taaipol, vleigras, rotstert, taaipolfynsaadgras (
Family: Poaceae

Sporobolus africanus is a tough, palatable, perennial grass with a low leaf production. It is a good indicator of disturbed veld....

24 / 06 / 2019 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Satyrium princeps

Part of flower stalk
Common names: red satyr orchid (Eng.); rooitrewwa (Afr.)
Family: Orchidaceae

Satyrium princeps is a handsome but threatened terrestrial orchid from coastal sands in the southern part of the Western and Eastern Cape. Its long-lasting...

21 / 01 / 2013 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Senegalia galpinii

Senegalia galpinii
Common names: monkey-thorn (Eng.), Tshikwalo (Tshivenda), apiesdoring (Afr.), Molopa (North Sotho)
Family: Fabaceae

This is a large tree with luxuriant, light green foliage, making it ideal for a big garden, avenue or park. It is also valued by farmers.  This tree...

20 / 01 / 2003 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Pretoria NBG
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Scabiosa incisa

Scabious incisa
Common names: coast scabious (Eng.), koringblommetjie (Afr.), isilawu esikhulu, iyeza lamehlo (Xhosa)
Family: Dipsacaceae

Scabiosa incisa with its large mauve or white flowers must be one of South Africa's prettiest indigenous perennials. Growing in small clumps, the flowerheads...

08 / 12 / 2003 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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