Plants of the Week

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E.g., 11/09/2024
E.g., 11/09/2024

Eriocephalus racemosus

Eriocephalus racemosus
Common names: coast wild rosemary (Eng.); strandveldkapok, kapkappie, strandkapokbos, kapokkie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Eriocephalus racemosus is not only an ideal low screening plant but will also attract insects, and in turn the insects will encourage the birds to visit...

10 / 08 / 2015 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica fontana

Erica fontana, fresh flowers at the stem tip
Common names: fountain heath (Eng.); fonteinheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica fontana produces white to light rosy pink tubular flowers, that become paler towards the base, and the flowers appear all year round. It is a rare...

25 / 12 / 2023 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos longifolius

Encephalartos longifolius growing in the wild.
Common names: Thunberg's cycad, Suurberg cycad (Eng.); Suurbergbroodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos longifolius and E. caffer were the first cycads to be scientifically recorded in South Africa as long ago as 1772. During...

19 / 06 / 2006 | D Bosenberg | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euphorbia bupleurifolia

Euphorbia bupleurifolia
Common names: cycad spurge, pine cone plant (Eng.); melkbol (Afr.); intsele, insema (Xho.); inkamamasane, insema (Zul.)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Resembling a pine cone, pineapple or, some may say, a cycad, Euphorbia bupleurifolia is one interesting Euphorbia....

20 / 05 / 2019 | Sibahle Gumede | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Encephalartos middelburgensis

E.middelburgensis in habitat
Common names: Middelburg cycad (Eng.)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos middelburgensis is a blue-leaved cycad covered with persistent powdery bloom. It thrives in full sunlight and is frost-hardy. It is...

22 / 07 / 2013 | K w Sepheka | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Encephalartos natalensis

Encephalartos natalensis: a "living fossil”
Common names: Natal cycad (Eng.); natalbroodboom (Afr.); isigqikisomkhovu, umhlungulo (Zulu); umguza, umphanga (Xhosa)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos natalensis, a "living fossil", is a quick-growing handsome giant tree cycad for your garden. This frost-hardy cycad prefers subtropical...

24 / 10 / 2011 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Eucomis montana

Eucomis montana
Common names: montane pineapple flower
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This is one of the six bicoloured species of Eucomis and one of the few dwarf species, occurring in the Mpumalanga Province....

27 / 05 / 2019 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Encephalartos paucidentatus

Graceful cycad
Common names: Barberton cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

The graceful crown of dark green glossy leaves, vigorous growth and strong stem of Encephalartos paucidentatus makes this one of the most striking of...

03 / 07 / 2006 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elegia filacea

Elegia filacea
Common names: little golden curls
Family: Restionaceae

A magnificent small, upright, tufted restio that shows off its golden–tan sheaths and bracts in early to midsummer, and makes a spectacular filler...

03 / 06 / 2019 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos princeps

Encephalartos princeps
Common names: Kei cycad (Eng.); keibroodboom (Afr.); umguza, umphanga (Xho.)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos princeps is a lovely blue-leaved cycad that responds well to full sun and tolerates any soil type, provided that the soil is well drained...

08 / 08 / 2011 | K w Sepheka | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Encephalartos senticosus

Encephalartos senticosus
Common names: Lebombo, jozini cycad (Eng.); lebombobroodboom (Afr.); isigqiki-somkhovu, ujubane (Zulu); sijekwane (S)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos senticosus is a quick-growing, glossy dark green giant cycad for your ornamental garden. ...

19 / 09 / 2011 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Erica lateralis

Erica lateralis
Common names: button heath (Eng.); knopiesheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

This sturdy evergreen shrub boasts with masses of rosy to pink flowers from late summer until early winter, around February to June. It is ideal for mass...

13 / 09 / 2021 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos transvenosus

Modjadji cycad
Common names: Modjadji cycad (Eng.); Modjadji broodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

As a garden subject, Encephalartos transvenosus, with its glossy dark-green leaves, is one of the most spectacular and tallest of all cycad species. It...

14 / 03 / 2005 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euphorbia grandidens

Euphorbia grandidens. Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: valleybush euphorbia, large-toothed euphorbia (Eng.); valleibosnaboom, groottandnaboom (Afr.); umhlontlo (isiXhosa); umhlonhlo wehlathi (isiZulu)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia grandidens is many branched shrub or tree, up to 16 m tall or more, with one to several, main succulent trunks....

31 / 08 / 2015 | Sifiso Mnxati | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Encephalartos trispinosus

Encephalartos trispinosus
Common names: Bushman`s River cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos trispinosus is an excellent garden subject in hot, dry climates and areas which experience frost. The plants do not require a great deal...

15 / 05 / 2006 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica baueri subsp. gouriquae

Erica baueri subsp. gouriquae
Common names: Gouriqua heath, bridal heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica baueri subsp. baueri is one of the best known ericas and popular as a South African fynbos garden plant. A second subspecies, subsp. gouriquae, was...

07 / 09 / 2015 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euphorbia clavarioides

Euphorbia clavarioides
Common names: lion’s spoor (Eng.), grootvingerpol, slangpol, melkpol (Afr.), isihlekehleke, isantilele (isiZulu), sehlehle, sehloko, thethebale (Sesotho)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia clavarioides is a succulent perennial that forms neat, cushion-like clumps of tightly packed stems, just above ground level, with beautiful yellow...

20 / 09 / 2021 | Bathabile Ndlovu | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Encephalartos villosus

Cone forming
Common names: poor man's cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos villosus is one of the most common ornamental dwarf cycads in southern Africa. It is shade-loving and produces leaves which spread out...

25 / 04 / 2005 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Equilabium laxiflorum

Equilabium laxiflorum
Common names: citronella dutch-pipe-sage (Eng.); sitrinella-kromsteelpypsalie (Afr.); ubebebe (isiXhosa)
Family: Lamiaceae

An erect, easy-to-grow, aromatic, herbaceous shrub with decorative, light green foliage, suitable for planting in humid, moist and slightly shaded areas...

24 / 06 / 2019 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos woodii

Encephalartos woodii at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Wood's Cycad (Eng.); Wood-se-broodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos woodii is famous for being extinct in nature, and for the fact that there is no known female specimen on Earth....

20 / 05 / 2002 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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