Plants of the Week

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E.g., 14/09/2024
E.g., 14/09/2024

Pentanisia prunelloides

Pentanisia prunelloides
Common names: wild verbena, broad-leaved Pentanisia (Eng.); sooibrandbossie (Afr.); icimamlilo (Zulu)

This beautiful blue grassland flower, which attracts butterflies, shows great potential as a garden plant. Widespread in southern Africa, and used extensively...

06 / 01 / 2003 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Leucospermum saxosum

Flowerheads
Common names: escarpment pincushion
Family: Proteaceae

This pincushion is the only one in South Africa not growing in the winter rainfall area of the Western Cape. This is a summer rainfall species to be found...

06 / 01 / 2003 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG
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Brachylaena discolor

Seed heads
Common names: Coast silver oak (E), Kusvaalbos (Afr.), Phahla (isiZulu), Mphahla (N.Sotho), umPhahla (isiXhosa)
Family: Asteraceae

...

06 / 01 / 2003 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Kumara plicatilis

Kumara plicatilis
Common names: fan aloe, Franschhoek aloe (Eng.); waaieraalwyn, Franschoekaalwyn, bergaalwyn, tongaalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Kumara plicatilis is a unique and striking much-branched shrub or small tree. This plant was previously called Aloe plicatilis....

01 / 01 / 2003 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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Vernonia glabra

This plant is now called Linzia glabra....

01 / 01 / 2003 | | Harold Porter NBG
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Haworthia maxima

01 / 01 / 2003 | | Harold Porter NBG
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Aloe plicatilis

This plant is now called Kumara plicatilis....

01 / 01 / 2003 | | Harold Porter NBG
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Acacia galpinii

This tree is now known as Senegalia galpinii...

01 / 01 / 2003 | | Harold Porter NBG
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Aptosimum procumbens

Aptosimum procumbens
Common names: carpet flower, Karoo violet (Eng.); kankerbos (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

An ideal water-wise ground-cover plant for dry gardens, Aptosimum procumbens is one of the treasures of the arid and semi-arid parts of South Africa....

01 / 01 / 2003 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Psoralea pinnata

Psoralea pinnata
Common names: fountain bush (Eng.); fonteinbos, bloukeur, penwortel (Afr.); umHlonishwa (Zulu)
Family: Fabaceae

Psoralea pinnata is an erect shrub or small tree which grows up to 4 m high, with blue, lilac and white pea-shaped flowers which bloom from October...

23 / 12 / 2002 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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Pelargonium graveolens

Pelargonium graveleons
Common names: Rose-scented pelargonium, wildemalva
Family: Geraniaceae

Pelargonium graveolens with its attractive, strongly rose-scented leaves and pinkish white flowers is an interesting addition to the mixed border, adding...

23 / 12 / 2002 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Phylica buxifolia

Phylica buxifolia
Common names: box-leaf phylica, box hard-leaf (Eng.); bukshardeblaar (Afr.)
Family: Rhamnaceae

This compact rounded shrub or small tree makes a good background or screening plant and should find a place in indigenous gardens near the coast, especially...

16 / 12 / 2002 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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Mimetes hottentoticus

Flowerhead of Mimetes hottentoticus
Common names: silver pagoda, Hottentotstompie (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

This is a beautiful shrub with silvery leaves and distinctive flowers. Mimetes can be easily distinguished from all other Proteaceae. The beauty...

16 / 12 / 2002 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Kniphofia ensifolia

Kniphofia ensifolia
Common names: torch lily (Eng.); vuurpyl (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

This torch lily is an attractive plant with erect, grey-green, deeply keeled leaves, forming large clumps with attractive white to greenish white or greenish...

16 / 12 / 2002 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Struthiola myrsinites

Struthiola myrsinites
Common names: Juffertjie-roer-by-die-nag (Afr.)
Family: Thymelaeaceae

This is a delightful, slender shrub from the Cape flora, whose pale flowers scent the evening air. It is a member of the thyme family which is recognised...

09 / 12 / 2002 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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Pelargonium zonale

Pelargonium zonale
Common names: horse-shoe pelargonium (Eng.); wildemalva (Afr.)
Family: Geraniaceae

The flowers of this strikingly beautiful species range from pure white to rose-pink and all shades of red. Combined with its decorative rounded foliage,...

09 / 12 / 2002 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Kniphofia linearifolia

Kniphofia linearifolia
Common names: common marsh poker (Eng.); vuurpyl (Afr.); Icacane, Umathunga (Zulu)
Family: Asphodelaceae

This is an attractive plant, with showy greenish yellow to yellow flowers and long, narrow leaves. It is suited to temperate gardens where it forms a strong...

09 / 12 / 2002 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Kiggelaria africana

Kiggelaria africana
Common names: wild peach, wildeperske (Afr.), umKokoko (Xhosa), uMunwe (Zulu), Monepenepe (North Sotho), Lekgatsi (South Sotho), Muphatavhafu (Venda)
Family: Achariaceae

This widespread tree is said to attract lightning, but some people use it to protect their homes!...

02 / 12 / 2002 | Pitta Joffe | Pretoria NBG
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Ochna serrulata

Flowers of Ochna serrulata
Common names: Mickey Mouse bush, small-leaved plane, carnival bush (Eng.); fynblaarrooihout (Afr.); Umbomvane (Zulu); iliTye (Xhosa)
Family: Ochnaceae

This is certainly a shrub that every gardener should have in their garden, not only because of its beautiful yellow flowers, but also because of its attractive...

02 / 12 / 2002 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Mystacidium capense

Mystacidium capense
Common names: iphamba (Zulu)
Family: Orchidaceae

This delicate epiphytic orchid, a mini plant with maxi roots is covered in a mass of white flowers at the beginning of summer....

02 / 12 / 2002 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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