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., 10/09/2024
E.g., 10/09/2024

Diospyros simii

Diospyros simii
Common names: climbing star-apple, rub-rub berry, star apple (Eng.); ranksterappel, kraaibessie, kraaibessiebos, ranktolbessiebos, tolbessiebos (Afr.); umbongisa (i
Family: Ebenaceae

This fast-growing shrub or small tree grows well in sun or semi shade. It produces white flowers in spring, followed by decorative, orange-red, edible...

08 / 11 / 2021 | Zubayr Sydow | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Diastella divaricata subsp. divaricata

Diastella divaricata subsp. divaricata
Common names: Peninsula silkypuff
Family: Proteaceae

A sprawling, creeping, rounded shrub dotted with small, pink inflorescences, that gives the best year-round display in a fynbos garden, and is a champion...

01 / 05 / 2017 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Diastella divaricata subsp. montana

Diastella divaricata subsp. montana
Common names: mountain silkypuff
Family: Proteaceae

...

22 / 05 / 2017 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Delosperma frutescens

Delosperma frutescens in flower
Common names: dwarf tree mesemb, shrubby delosperma (Eng.); dwerg-boomvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

The dwarf tree mesemb is a long-lived, slow-growing, ascending, much branched, tree-shaped mesemb with greyish, smooth stems, succulent greyish-green leaves...

18 / 03 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Dyschoriste setigera

In flower
Common names: Fairy Stars
Family: Acanthaceae

This is a delightful low-growing groundcover up to 150-300mm high that requires little or no maintenance and is particularly suitable for water-wise gardens...

31 / 03 / 2014 | Zoleka Maphanga | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Drosanthemum aasvoelbergense

Drosanthemum aasvoelbergense in flower
Common names: Aasvoelberg mesemb (Eng.); Aasvoelberg-douvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

The Aasvoelberg mesemb is a rare endemic of the upper south-facing cliffs of the Aasvoelberg, north west of Willowmore in the Eastern Cape. The sprawling...

25 / 03 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Delosperma nubigenum

Delosperma nubigenum in flower at the Denver Botanic Gardens
Common names: cloud-born delosperma (Eng.), geel-kransvygie (Afr.); mabone, motabo (Sesotho)
Family: Aizoaceae

The cloud-born delosperma is a mat-forming leaf succulent which becomes pendent on cliffs. It is endemic to the Drakensberg and highlands of Lesotho where...

01 / 04 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Dimorphotheca chrysanthemifolia

Dimorphotheca chrysanthemifolia
Common names: cape mountain marigold, chrysanth rain daisy (Eng.); geelbergmargriet, gousblom (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Dimorphotheca chrysanthemifolia is an upright shrublet with distinctive coarsely toothed leaves and magnificent large golden-yellow flowerheads which are...

15 / 04 / 2024 | Thaabiet Parker | Compton Herbarium
Read More

Delosperma saxicola

Delosperma saxicola
Common names: Tsitsikamma cliff vygie, Tsitsikamma cliff mesemb (Eng.); Tsitsikamma vygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

A rare endemic of the coastal cliffs of the Tsitsikamma National Park. Its mat-forming habit makes it a great ground cover, especially for seafront, water-wise,...

30 / 09 / 2019 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Diastella fraterna

Diastella fraterna
Common names: Palmiet silkypuff
Family: Proteaceae

The Palmiet silkypuff is a decorative shrublet with a sprinkling of pretty puffy white flowers almost all year round....

16 / 11 / 2015 | Nosiphelele Patricia Mapukata | Harold Porter NBG
Read More

Dierama tysonii

Dierama tysonii
Common names: Tyson’s hairbells (Eng.); grasklokkies (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

The graceful hairbells are one of our most loved native plants; these perennial herbs have evergreen grass-like foliage, with slender, wiry stems from...

28 / 10 / 2019 | Bathabile Ndlovu | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
Read More

Diosma haelkraalensis

Diosma haelkraalensis
Common names: Hagelkraal bitter-buchu (Eng.); Hagelkraal bitterboegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

This extremely hardy buchu thrives in both alkaline and acidic soils of the fynbos, and flowers for much of the year....

24 / 07 / 2017 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Dicliptera magaliesbergensis

Dicliptera magaliesbergensis
Common names: none
Family: Acanthaceae

Dicliptera magaliesbergensis is one of 20 South African species of Dicliptera, and one of the 3 threatened species. It is found only in Gauteng and nowhere...

02 / 12 / 2019 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG
Read More

Disa graminifolia

Disa graminifolia
Common names: blue disa (Eng.), bloumoederkappie (Afr.)
Family: Orchidaceae

Disa graminifolia is one of the most attractive, and less known orchid species. It has violet-blue flowers in late summer to early autumn that catch one’s...

01 / 07 / 2024 | Lubanzi Kutshwa | Harold Porter NBG
Read More

Dalbergia melanoxylon

Dalbergia melanoxylon
Common names: zebra wood, African blackwood, African ebony (Eng.), sebrahout, swartdriedoring, driedoringebbehout (Afr.), isparati, mpingo (Swati), mogôrôgôrô (
Family: Fabaceae

A beautiful, small, spiny tree, with fragrant, white, pea-like flowers in dense clusters in early summer; it also produces attractive purple-black heartwood...

23 / 12 / 2019 | Winfred Velephi Ngwenya | Lowveld NBG
Read More

Dicliptera cernua

Dicliptera cernua foliage, slightly hairy.
Common names: false buck-weed (Eng.)
Family: Acanthaceae

Dicliptera cernua is a vigorous and versatile winter-flowering groundcover, suitable for sunny or shady areas....

15 / 02 / 2016 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Dierama dubium

Dierama dubium
Common names: hidden hairbell (Eng.); grasklokkie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

A little-known and seldom seen, perennial, evergreen geophyte with small, nodding dark purple-red flowers and white bracts which are borne on arching stems...

19 / 08 / 2024 | Mlondi Sikhosana | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
Read More

Drimia sphaerocephala

Drimia sphaerocephala, rounded flowerhead. Photo Garth Bushell
Common names: round-head drimia (Eng.); snotuintjie (Afr.); hlare-sa-noko (Sesotho).
Family: Hyacinthaceae

The phrase “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” is well expressed by the plant Drimia sphaerocephala. A bulbous plant wearing a rounded,...

04 / 07 / 2022 | Lesiba Papo | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Drosera xerophila

Drosera xerophila
Common names: xeric sundew, dryland sundew (Eng.)
Family: Droseraceae

Drosera xerophila is one of the stunning sundews, belonging to the Droseraceae family, characterised by a rosette of leaves that lie close to the ground...

16 / 09 / 2024 | Nyameka Dlawu | Harold Porter NBG
Read More

Dombeya kirkii

Dombeya kirkii
Common names: river wild pear, river dombeya (Eng.); rivierdrolpeer (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

A fast growing and beautiful, ornamental wild pear with masses of white flowers in late summer and winter....

02 / 03 / 2020 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More