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

Aponogeton distachyos

Waterblommetjies in Kirstenbosch
Common names: Cape pondweed, water onion, water asparagus (Eng.); waterblommetjie, vleikos, wateruintjie (Afr.)
Family: Aponogetonaceae

This is a well known local delicacy for the cold winter months. It has become so popular that many commercial plantings have been made in ponds around...

06 / 08 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Anginon difforme

Anginon difforme
Common names: common needle-leaf, common finkel (Eng.); wildevinkel, wildeseldery (Afr.)
Family: Apiaceae

Anginon difforme is an endemic of southern Africa with reduced, needle-like leaves that resemble pine needles, so much so that it sometimes is confused...

30 / 01 / 2023 | Nokukhanya Nozipho Mhlongo | Compton Herbarium
Read More

Aptenia cordifolia

Aptenia cordifolia
Common names: baby sun rose, red aptenia (Eng.); rooi brakvygie, brakvygie (Afr.); Ibohlololo, uncolozi omncane (Zulu)
Family: Aizoaceae

The glossy succulent leaves and bright magenta pink flowers are distinctive characteristics of Aptenia cordifolia. It is a well-known groundcover or creeping...

05 / 01 / 2009 | Norma Lucas | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

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
Read More

Arctopus echinatus

A. echinatus female plant Photo A. Magee
Common names: flat-thorn (Eng.); platdoring, pokkiesdoring, sieketroos (Afr.)
Family: Apiaceae

Arctopus echinatus is an easily recognizable, flat-growing, spiny-leaved geophyte. It is an important South African medicinal plant with a long history...

08 / 02 / 2010 | Anthony R. Magee | Compton Herbarium
Read More

Arctotis fastuosa

Orange form of A.fastuosa
Common names: Namaqualand arctotis, Iceland daisy, Namaqua marigold, double Namaqualand daisy (Eng.); Namakwagousblom, bittergousblom (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Arctotis fastuosa with large colourful flowers, is an easy-to-grow annual from the dry Namaqualand region....

11 / 12 / 2006 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Arctotheca populifolia

Flowers
Common names: beach pumpkin (Eng.); seepampoen, tonteldoek (blom), strandgousblom (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Arctotheca populifolia is a 'beach bum'! It is a common pioneer along the southern African coast. Have a look next time you are on the beach and...

19 / 02 / 2007 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Arctotis acaulis

Arctotis acaulis flower - orange with black spots
Common names: renoster arctotis, renoster marigold (Eng.), renostergousblom, tonteldoekblom (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Arctotis acaulis is a fast-growing perennial that is best grown as an annual, with large orange, yellow, salmon or cream daisies in spring and early...

29 / 09 / 2008 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Arctotis arctotoides

Arctotis arctotoides
Common names: botterblom (Afrikaans), putswa-pududu (South Sotho), ubushwa (isiXhosa)
Family: Asteraceae

Arctotis arctotoides is a fast-growing, soft, herbaceous groundcover that forms carpets of light green foliage decorated with cheerful, butter-yellow daisy...

19 / 08 / 2002 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Arctotis hirsuta

Arctotis hirsuta flowers
Common names: Namaqua marigold (Eng.), Namakwagousblom (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Bold and beautiful, the mesmerizing Arctotis hirsuta is one of the most captivating species in an annual spring display....

10 / 10 / 2011 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Albizia versicolor

Albizia versicolor, leaves and flowers, Lowveld NBG. Photo Alice Notten
Common names: poison-pod albizia, large-leaved albizia, large-leaved false-thorn, (Eng.); umphiso, umbhangazi, umvangazi (isiZulu); grootblaarvalsdoring, sandkiaat
Family: Fabaceae

Albizia versicolor is a very attractive tree with its large white to greenish-yellow flower heads, bright green to reddish pods and straight trunk with...

27 / 06 / 2022 | Sboniso Zwane | Pretoria NBG
Read More

Arctotis stoechadifolia

Flowers
Common names: coast arctotis, silver arctotis, trailing arctotis (Eng.); kusgousblom, bittergousblom, witgousblom (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A tough and fast-growing groundcover often seen in gardens around the world, Arctotis stoechadifolia surprisingly only occurs naturally along a small strip...

05 / 12 / 2005 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Arctotis venusta

Arctotis venusta
Common names: Karoo marigold (Eng.); Karoo gousblom (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Arctotis venusta is one of the few indigenous annuals that are easy to grow and provide a reliable, colourful display in summer....

06 / 02 / 2006 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Albuca heydenrychii

Albuca heydenrychii
Common names: yellow cliff-albuca (Eng.); krans-slymstok (Afr.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Albuca heydenrychii is a cliff-dwelling, bulbous plant with soft, flaccid leaves up to 1 m long and a raceme of bright yellow flowers in midsummer. It...

27 / 07 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Argyrolobium lunare

Argyrolobium lunare
Common names: None
Family: Fabaceae

At first glance it looks as if there are two similar kinds of plant growing together. This is because most of the flowers are bright yellow and others...

23 / 07 / 2012 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
Read More

Argyroderma theartii

Argyroderma theartii
Common names: baby-toes (Eng.); bababoudjies (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Argyroderma theartii is a beautiful, dwarf, cluster-forming, winter growing succulent plant, bearing striking, bright purple-pink flowers during the...

28 / 03 / 2005 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Aristea biflora

Aristea biflora
Common names: windowed aristea
Family: Iridaceae

Aristea biflora is a member of the family Iridaceae and an inhabitant the south-western Cape. It is characterized by attractive violet to purple flowers...

06 / 04 / 2009 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW
Read More

Aristea ecklonii

Flowers
Common names: blue stars (Eng.); blousterre (Afr.); umhushuza (IsiZulu)
Family: Iridaceae

Aristea ecklonii is an indigenous, evergreen perennial with attractive, blue, star-like flowers that make quite a show in early summer and late spring....

01 / 10 / 2012 | Sthembile Zondi | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
Read More

Asparagus microraphis

Asparagus microraphis (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: needles wild-asparagus (Eng.), katdoring (Afr.), lala-tau, lehonyeli, lelala-tau, leu-nyeli, mankoe (Sesotho)
Family: Asparagaceae

An evergreen shrub that is used medicinally by Sesotho speaking people for the treatment of venereal diseases....

25 / 07 / 2016 | Aluwani Tshiila | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
Read More

Arrowsmithia styphelioides

Flowering plant of A. styphelioides
Common names: There are no common names in use for this species.
Family: Asteraceae

This rare and endemic shrublet is a member of the daisy family and occurs only in a restricted area in the Eastern Cape Province....

14 / 02 / 2011 | Nicola Bergh | Compton Herbarium
Read More