Plants of the Week

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E.g., 02/06/2023
E.g., 02/06/2023

Erica patersonii

Erica patersonia
Common names: mielie heath (Eng.); mielieheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

This is one of a number of erica species that are threatened by urban expansion and farming practices....

16 / 06 / 2003 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Eucomis sonnetteana

Eucomis sonnetteana
Common names: Morgenzon pineapple lily
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This jewel of Mpumalanga is one of the dwarf pineapple lilies, so named, because their flowerheads resemble a pineapple. This one is a recently discovered...

11 / 04 / 2022 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Eriocephalus africanus

Eriocephalus africanus
Common names: wild rosemary (Eng.), wilderoosmaryn, kapokbos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Wild rosemary is one of the shrubs that most people in the Cape know because it is so common in the veld and easy to identify with its thin, grey leaves,...

11 / 06 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Eriocephalus

Eriocephalus
Common names: wild rosemary (Eng.); kapokbos, wilderoosmaryn (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Highly aromatic shrubs which are most distinctive when covered in fluffy white fruiting heads from late spring to early summer. Thus the vernacular name, kapokbos (Afrikaans...

22 / 10 / 2012 | B Busch | Compton Herbarium
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Elytropappus rhinocerotis

This plant is now called Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis....

25 / 09 / 2006 | | Compton Herbarium
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Erythrophysa alata

Red nectar producing flowers of E. alata
Common names: Namaqua red balloon (Eng.); Namakwa-rooiklapperbos, mannetjie-roldoring, kloe-kloekie (Afr.)
Family: Sapindaceae

The intensely red flowers of this small rigid tree are unlike those of any other small tree from Namaqualand....

13 / 12 / 2010 | Werner Voigt | Harold Porter NBG
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Erythrina caffra

Erythrina caffra (Alice Notten)
Common names: coast coral tree (Eng.); kuskoraalboom (Afr.); umsinsi (Zulu); umsintsi (Xhosa)
Family: Fabaceae

Erythrina is known as the red genus, and E. caffra is widely loved for its warm red to scarlet-coloured flowers, which appear from...

16 / 10 / 2006 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erythrina acanthocarpa

Erythrina acanthocarpa
Common names: Tambookie Thorn, Tambuki Thorn (Eng.), Tamboekiedoring, Tamboekiewortel, Wag-'n-Bietjiedoring (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

This is a very attractive shrub with striking red and green flowers....

03 / 09 / 2001 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Erythrina humeana

Erythrina humeana
Common names: dwarf coral tree (E), kleinkoraalboom (A), umsinsana, ikati (Z), umsintsane, umsintsi, utambuki (X), umdvumbula (S), mokhupye (NS)
Family: Fabaceae

The dwarf coral tree is an ideal tree or shrub for the small garden, especially for people who love the scarlet flowers of the common coral tree (Erythrina...

15 / 01 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Erica vernicosa

Erica vernicosa
Common names: varnished heath (Eng.), vernisteheid (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

...

30 / 05 / 2022 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erythrina latissima

Erythrina latissima
Common names: broad-leaved coral tree (Eng.); breëblaarkoraalboom, grootblaar (Afr.); umnqwane, umsintsi (Xhosa); umqwabagqwaba, umqongqazi (Zulu); mokhupye (North
Family: Fabaceae

This most unusual of the South African Erythrina species is an interesting tree with major bird-attracting potential....

01 / 01 / 2007 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Erythrina lysistemon

Erythrina lysistemon in spring
Common names: common coral tree, lucky bean tree (E), gewone koraalboom, kanniedood (A), umsintsi (X), muvhale (V), mophete (Tsw), mokhungwane (Sotho), umsinsi (Z)
Family: Fabaceae

Erythrina lysistemon is a lovely, small to medium-sized, deciduous tree with a spreading crown and brilliant red flowers. It is a handsome tree at...

02 / 09 / 2002 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erythrina zeyheri

E. zeheri growing in Free State NBG
Common names: harrow-breaker, plough-breaker (Eng.); ploegbreker (Afr.); khungoana, motumo (Southern Sotho?); umnsinsana (Zulu)
Family: Fabaceae

It is only in Africa where one can find this stunning, hardy, deciduous shrublet that produces brilliant scarlet flowers in late spring — local is...

08 / 03 / 2004 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG
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Euclea pseudebenus

Euclea pseudebenus in habitat.
Common names: ebony guarri, ebony tree, black ebony, Cape ebony (Eng.); ebbehoutghwarrie, ebbehout, ebbeboom, swartebbenhout (Afr.); tsawib (Nama)
Family: Ebenaceae

Euclea pseudebenus or ebony guarri is a remarkably drought-hardy and tough indigenous tree with a most graceful appearance contrasting its harsh and unforgiving...

15 / 02 / 2016 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Erythrophysa transvaalensis

Erythrophysa transvaalensis
Common names: Transvaal red balloon (Eng.); Transvaalse rooiklapperbos (Afr.)
Family: Sapindaceae

Erythrophysa transvaalensis is an exciting deciduous shrub or small tree, suitable for small gardens in frost-free areas....

17 / 04 / 2006 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euclea crispa

Euclea crispa foliage © G. Nichols
Common names: blue guarri (Eng.); bloughwarrie (Afr.); iyeza-lokuxaxazisa, umgwali (isiXhosa), motlhaletsogane (Setswana); idungamuzi, umgwali (isiZulu), gwari (Ped
Family: Ebenaceae

The blue guarri is a nea, well-shaped tree ideally suited to smaller gardens....

09 / 08 / 2010 | N Stoll | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Euclea divinorum

Euclea divinorum, female flowers.  Image Geoff Nichols
Common names: magic guarri (English); towerghwarrie (Afrikaans); mohlakola (Northern Sotho); umhlangula, ubophanyamazane, umncafuzana (Zulu); umdlelanyamatane (Swat
Family: Ebenaceae

The magic guarri is a useful medicinal plant. Although not very tasty to humans, its fruit is enjoyed by birds. The tree is also said to have supernatural...

27 / 01 / 2014 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Elegia persistens

Elegia persistens
Common names: handsome goldreed
Family: Restionaceae

 A very attractive, medium-sized, reed-like perennial, with golden-brown flower heads, that can be used to enliven any garden....

24 / 02 / 2020 | Thembakazi Dyariwe | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euclea natalensis

Euclea natalensis tree
Common names: Natal guarri, Natal ebony, large-leaved guarri (Eng.); Natalghwarrie, berggwarrie, swartbasboom (Afr.); umTshekisani, umKhasa (Xhosa); iDungamuzi, iCh
Family: Ebenaceae

Euclea natalensis is an adaptable, easy-to-grow tree with a neat, dense, rounded crown of dark green foliage, decorative pale, gold-tinged new growth,...

08 / 02 / 2010 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euclea undulata

Branch with leaves
Common names: small-leaved guarri, common guarri (Eng.); kleinblaarghwarrie, gewone ghwarrrie (Afr.); bergebenholzstrauch (Ger.); gwanxe, inkunzane, umshekizane, um
Family: Ebenaceae

Euclea undulata is one of the most common small trees across the vast subtropical and central interior regions of southern Africa. It is a most variable...

24 / 06 / 2013 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG
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