Plants of the Week

Hypoxis hemerocallidea

Common names: star flower, yellow star (Eng.); sterblom, geelsterretjie, gifbol (Afr.); moli kharatsa, lotsane (S Sotho); inkomfe, inkomfe enkulu (Zulu), inongwe, i

Family: Hypoxidaceae

Hailed as`miracle muti' and `wonder potato', Hypoxis hemerocallidea has been very much in the limelight during the past two decades and is today...

09 / 11 / 2009 | Beate Hölscher | National Herbarium Pretoria

Leucospermum praecox

Common names: Mossel Bay pincushion; large tufted pincushion

Family: Proteaceae

Leucospermum praecox flowers before most other pincushions and creates an eye-catching display from mid-autumn all through winter....

09 / 11 / 2009 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG

Encephalartos aplanatus

Common names: Swazi north-east forest cycad (Eng.); Umphanga wehlathi (Zulu)

Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos aplanatus is a shade-loving cycad that closely resembles E. villosus. The leaflets of E. aplanatus, however, tend to be wider than those...

16 / 11 / 2009 | Phakamani Xaba | Kirstenbosch NBG

Mondia whitei

Common names: White's ginger, tonic root (Eng.); mundondo, mudondo (Angola); mundondo, bondo, molo busio (Cissongo - Central African Republic); nlondo, kimbiolongwa

Family: Apocynaceae

Mondia whitei, White's ginger, is a truly versatile and magical African herb — widely used medicinally and an excellent garden subject...

16 / 11 / 2009 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | Pretoria NBG

Delosperma lydenbergense

Common names: Lydenburg vygie (Eng.); klipvygie, rotsvygie (Afr.)

Family: Mesembryanthemaceae

This flat-growing ground cover or small shrub with its purple flowers can take full sun and is an attractive plant for gardens in warmer climates....

23 / 11 / 2009 | K Bayloyi | Pretoria NBG

Gasteria rawlinsonii

Common names: Baviaanskloof cliff gasteria (Eng.); kransbeestong (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria rawlinsonii is a shrubby, aloe-like, succulent cliff hanger found only in the Baviaanskloof of the Eastern Cape Province. It is the only...

23 / 11 / 2009 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gasteria glauca

Common names: Kouga River gasteria (Eng.); Kouga-beestong (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria glauca is a small aloe-like plant with highly succulent, glaucous (grey-green) leaves arranged in a dense rosette. It grows on cliff faces...

30 / 11 / 2009 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Leucospermum conocarpodendron subsp. viridum

Common names: green tree pincushion, hairless tree pincushion, yellow pincushion (Eng.); groenkreupelhout, kreupelboom, goudboom, brandhoutboom (Afr.) (Previously k

Family: Proteaceae

The largest of the pincushion group of proteas, the green tree pincushion is absolutely spectacular when in flower. The large rounded bushes are then covered...

30 / 11 / 2009 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG

Leucospermum formosum

Common names: silver-leaf wheel-pincushion

Family: Proteaceae

Leucospermum formosum has spectacular bright yellow spring flowers that look like a Catherine wheel firework frozen in mid spin. ...

07 / 12 / 2009 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Pterolobium stellatum

Common names: red-wing (Eng.); rooivlerk (Afr.); gwambazi or luanakha (Tshivenda)

Family: Fabaceae

Pterolobium stellatum is a tall, scrambling or climbing shrub with woody rope-like stems....

07 / 12 / 2009 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Philenoptera violacea

Common names: apple-leaf (Eng.); appelblaar (Afr.); umBhandu, umPhanda, isiHomohomo (isiZulu)

Family: Fabaceae

The wood of this attractive, hard, frost-sensitive "rain-tree" makes a stunning ornamental display....

14 / 12 / 2009 | Sifiso Mnxati | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Turnera oculata var. oculata

Common names: Namib Turnera

Family: Turneraceae

The Namib Turnera has striking yellow flowers with a conspicuous dark centre and occurs in Kaokoveld in the Namib Desert in northern Namibia and in southern...

14 / 12 / 2009 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Oscularia caulescens

Common names: dassievygie, sandsteenvygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Oscularia caulescens is an easy-to-grow succulent groundcover, ideal as an accent plant in especially rockeries or pots and for low-maintenance and water-wise...

21 / 12 / 2009 | M Buys | Compton Herbarium

Oxalis purpurea

Common names: grand duchess sorrel (Eng.); suuring (Afr.)

Family: Oxalidaceae

A common but undervalued South African native plant, Oxalis purpurea can make a most magnificent garden plant that flowers for half the year....

21 / 12 / 2009 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG

Bowkeria verticillata

Common names: Southern Shell-flower, Natal Shell-flower Bush (Eng.); Suidelike Skulpblombos, Natalse Skulpblombos (Afr.); umBaba, isiPhambathi (Zulu); isiDuli, iGqa

Family: Stilbaceae

A decorative shrub that can be used to landscape your garden, with softy quilted leaves and pure white, scented flowers....

27 / 12 / 2009 | Lufuno Konanani | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Pelargonium papilionaceum

Common names: butterfly pelargonium (Eng.); rambossie (Afr.)

Family: Geraniaceae

A pelargonium worth growing in shady places in your garden....

27 / 12 / 2009 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

Schrebera alata

Common names: wild jasmine, wing-leafed wooden pear, (Eng.); wildejasmyn, houtpeer (Afr.); mulungwi (Venda); umGwenye-hlangula (Xhosa); umGwenya-hlungulu, umSishane

Family: Oleaceae

Wild jasmine anoints your garden with a pleasant, sweet-scented fragrance and glorifies it with white to dark pinkish red flowers during the summer season....

04 / 01 / 2010 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Gomphocarpus physocarpus

Common names: balloon milkweed, balloon wild cotton, hairy balls, bindweed (Eng.); balmelkbossie, balbossie, wilde kapok (Afr.); umbababa, umbemiso, umangwazane, um

Family: Apocynaceae

Gomphocarpus physocarpus has striking yellowish, ball-like fruits and is an excellent butterfly plant, but it is poisonous if ingested; so keep it...

04 / 01 / 2010 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG