Plants of the Week

Pogonarthria squarrosa

Common names: herringbone grass, sickle grass

Family: Poaceae

Pogonarthria squarrosa is a loosely tufted grass with interesting, reddish-brown inflorescences which have led to its common name, herringbone...

11 / 07 / 2005 | L Fish | National Herbarium Pretoria

Podranea ricasoliana

Common names: Port St Johns creeper, pink trumpet vine (Eng.); Port St Johns klimop (Afr.)

Family: Bignoniaceae

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11 / 02 / 2002 | Christien Malan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Podocarpus latifolius

Common names: real yellowwood ( Eng. ); opregte geelhout (Afr.); umkhomba (Xhosa); mogobagoba (Northern Sotho); muhovho-hovho ( Venda ); umsonti (Zulu)

Family: Podocarpaceae

The real yellowwood is one of South Africa 's most valued timber trees. It is also South Africa 's National Tree....

17 / 10 / 2005 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Podocarpus henkelii

20 years old specimen in Kirstenbosch NBG

Common names: Henkel's Yellowwood (Eng), Henkel-se geelhout (Afr), UmSonti (Zulu)

Family: Podocarpaceae

This is one of the most beautiful and decorative of our indigenous conifers, a tree that any plant enthusiast would be proud to have in their garden. With...

13 / 05 / 2002 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Podocarpus falcatus

Common names: Outeniqua yellowwood, Outeniekwageelhout (Afrikaans) mogôbagôba (Northern Sotho), umsonti (Zulu).

Family: Podocarpaceae

This fast-growing, majestic yellowwood with its elegant shape is certainly a tree for all seasons and all gardens. It is an excellent container plant and...

13 / 01 / 2003 | Nick Klapwijk | Pretoria NBG

Podocarpus elongatus

Common names: Breede River Yellowwood ( Eng. ), Breeriviergeelhout, westelike geelhout (Afr.)

Family: Podocarpaceae

Many visitors to Kirstenbosch, remember the huge tree on the main lawn whose crown reached down to the ground and created a magical private sanctuary for...

24 / 01 / 2005 | Christien Malan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Podalyria sericea

Common names: silver sweet pea bush, silky podalyria, cape satin bush ( Eng. ); silwer keurtjie (Afr.)

Family: Fabaceae

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17 / 09 / 2007 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Podalyria calyptrata

Common names: sweetpea bush, large pink keurtjie, water blossom-pea (Eng.); keur, keurtjie, keurblom, ertjiebos, waterkeurtjie (Afr.)

Family: Fabaceae

There are few shrubs to beat Podalyria calyptrata , with its attractive, glossy, silvery foliage and masses of sweet-scented mauve-pink sweetpea-like...

01 / 11 / 2004 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Podalyria buxifolia

Common names: box-leaf bush-sweetpea (Eng.); keurtjie (Afr.)

Family: Fabaceae

Podalyria buxifolia is a delicately beautiful shrub from the southern Cape mountains. It has attractive, dark-green, glossy leaves and the most exquisite...

16 / 06 / 2014 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Plumbago wissii

Common names: Brandberg plumbago

Family: Plumbaginaceae

Plumbago wissii is a rare endemic of the Brandberg in northern Namibia. It is an attractive shrub growing to about 1.5 m in diameter and to about...

12 / 06 / 2006 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Plumbago auriculata

Common names: Cape leadwort, plumbago (English); blousyselbos (Afrikaans); umabophe (Xhosa/ Zulu); umasheleshele (Zulu)

Family: Plumbaginaceae

Plumbago is an extremely reliable, resilient plant which has been popular for home gardens as well as for commercial landscapes for many years. Plumbago...

10 / 12 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Pleiospilos nelii

Common names: split rocks (Eng.); kwaggavy(-gie) (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Pleiospilos nelii is an intriguing little succulent and one of the best examples of mimicry....

09 / 05 / 2011 | Lize Wolfaardt | Karoo Desert NBG

Plectranthus zuluensis 'Lupatana'

Common names: Lupatana spurflower (Eng.); Zoeloewitspoorsalie, Zoeloemuishondblaar (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Plectranthus zuluensis 'Lupatana' is a white-selected cultivar of Plectranthus zuluensis. It is an excellent pot plant and flowers from late summer...

28 / 05 / 2012 | Antonia Xaba | Kirstenbosch NBG

Plectranthus zuluensis

Common names: Zulu spurflower ( Eng. ); Zoeloespoorsalie, Zoeloemuishondblaar (Afr.).

Family: Lamiaceae

The delicate blue flowers and velvety leaves of Plectranthus zuluensis make this easily grown shrub a winner for those difficult shady areas in summer...

08 / 01 / 2007 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Plectranthus verticillatus

Common names: gossip spurflower, money plant, (Eng.); skindersalie (Afr).

Family: Lamiaceae

Plectranthus verticillatus is a perennial semi-succulent ground cover native to woodland and forest margins in southeast Africa. It has long been a popular...

26 / 07 / 2010 | S Khanyile | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Plectranthus venteri

Common names: Sekukuni spurflower (Eng.); sekoekoeniespoorsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

A relatively new species to horticulture, Plectranthus venteri is a uniquely aromatic, sun-loving, water-wise Plectranthus....

30 / 04 / 2018 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Plectranthus tenuicaulis

Common names: Angolan blue coleus (Eng.); Angola blouspoorsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Plectranthus tenuicaulis is an aromatic shrub with panicles of dark blue flowers in autumn and winter, from the southwestern highlands of Angola. Easily...

08 / 10 / 2018 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Plectranthus swynnertonii

Common names: Swynnerton's spur flower, cress spur flower; Debengeni spoorsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Plectranthus swynnertonii is an attractive, fast growing late summer to winter flowering herbaceous perennial that will thrive in a moist frost-free...

07 / 04 / 2014 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG