Plants of the Week

Acridocarpus natalitus

Common names: moth-fruit, the binder (Eng.); motvrug (Afr.); umabophe, umabophawentaba, umabopha and ihlalanyosi (isiZulu)

Family: Malpighiaceae

Its beautiful flowers and fruit make this evergreen shrub or small tree an appealing garden subject which should be in most gardens in the warmer and coastal...

20 / 06 / 2005 | Mkhipheni Ngwenya | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Adansonia digitata

Common names: baobab, Cream of Tartar tree, monkey-bread tree, lemonade tree (Eng.); kremetartboom(Afr.); isimuku, umShimulu, isiMuhu (Zulu); ximuwu (Tsonga); mowan

Family: Malvaceae

Regarded as the largest succulent plant in the world, the baobab tree is steeped in a wealth of mystique, legend and superstition wherever it occurs in...

10 / 02 / 2003 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Adenandra gummifera

Common names: Potberg china flower, gummy china flower (Eng.); Potberg-porseleinblom (Afr.)

Family: Rutaceae

A beautiful, aromatic, fynbos shrub with showy white porcelain-like flowers in winter and spring....

07 / 08 / 2006 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Adenandra obtusata

Common names: Agulhas china flower

Family: Rutaceae

Showy, white flowers that shimmer in the sun brighten up this evergreen shrub and attract insects, butterflies and bees to your garden. Belonging to the...

02 / 05 / 2005 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Adenandra uniflora

Common names: china flower, shepherd's delight (Eng.); Kommetjie teewater, bergskaapboegoe (Afr.)

Family: Rutaceae

...

11 / 08 / 2003 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Adenia spinosa

Common names: spiny greenstem, elephant’s foot (Eng.); tshivhuyu-dumbu (Tshivenda)

Family: Passifloraceae

In the far north of South Africa grows a very special, ancient-looking plant with a stem resembling an elephant’s foot. In our neighbouring country,...

30 / 04 / 2018 | Livhuwani Auldrean Nkuna | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Adenium

Common names: A. boehmianum : pylgif (Afr.); ouzuwo (Herero). A. multiflorum : impala lily, Sabi star, kudu lily ( Eng. ); impalalelie (Afr.). A. obesum : desert ro

Family: Apocynaceae

Adeniums, which all have poisonous sap, produce flowers in striking reds, pinks and mauves; red-and-white bicoloured flowers are fairly common. They are...

18 / 06 / 2007 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | Pretoria NBG

Adenium multiflorum

Common names: impala lily, Sabie star, kudu lily (Eng.); impalalelie (Afr.)

Family: Apocynaceae

Adenium multiflorum is the best known of the South African adeniums. It flowers in winter when most of the surrounding vegetation is rather dull by comparison...

28 / 06 / 2004 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Adenium swazicum

Common names: summer impala lily, Swazi lily (Eng.); somerimpalalelie, Swazi-lelie (Afr.); sisila-sempala (SiSwati)

Family: Apocynaceae

A dwarf, succulent shrub with pretty, lily-like, pink flowers borne on thick branches from late summer to autumn; a good rockery plant and a useful medicinal...

12 / 06 / 2017 | Mufhati Bulannga | Lowveld NBG

Adenopodia spicata

Common names: spiny splinter bean (Eng.); stekelsplinterboontjie (Afr.); lugagane (siSwati); umlungumabele (isiXhosa); ibobo, ubobo, umbambangwe, umlungumabele (isi

Family: Fabaceae

It's spiny all over, and the whip-like young stems lean out into the path and make themselves felt by the unwary. Meet the spiny splinter bean, a characteristic...

14 / 05 / 2012 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Aeollanthus haumannii

Common names: Otjihipa rock-sage (Eng.); Otjihipa-klipsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Aeollanthus haumannii is an aromatic, branched succulent with sticky, green leaves, bearing whitish mauve, 2-lipped flowers in autumn, only known from...

03 / 09 / 2018 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aeollanthus parvifolius

Common names: rock sage (Eng.), klipsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Aeollanthus parvifolius is a drought-tolerant, succulent, autumn-flowering plant suitable for dry bushveld and grassland gardens. Its succulent nature...

28 / 02 / 2005 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aerva leucura

Common names: aambeibossie

Family: Amaranthaceae

It is not the size of the flowers, but rather the reliable show Aerva leucura gives in the herbaceous border from summer to autumn, that makes this a worthwhile...

09 / 04 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Afzelia quanzensis

Common names: pod mahogany, lucky bean tree ( Eng. ); peulmahonie (Afr.); iNkehli (Zulu); Mambakofi (Swahili)

Family: Fabaceae

Afzelia quanzensis is a very attractive, medium-sized, deciduous tree, with bright green leaves that turn to an attractive yellowish colour in autumn....

11 / 09 / 2006 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG

Agapanthus africanus

Common names: Cape agapanthus, fynbos agapanthus (Eng.); kleinbloulelei (Afr.)

Family: Agapanthaceae

Agapanthus are one of South Africa's best known garden plants and are grown in most countries in the world. Their strap-like leaves and striking blue...

17 / 05 / 2004 | Richard Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG

Agapanthus campanulatus

Common names: bell agapanthus (E), bloulelie (A), ugebeleweni (X), ubani (Z), leta-laphofu (SS)

Family: Agapanthaceae

A dainty deciduous agapanthus from the Drakensberg, this is a good choice for gardeners in cold areas who struggle to grow evergreen agapanthus....

09 / 01 / 2006 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Agapanthus caulescens

Common names: stem agapanthus

Family: Agapanthaceae

...

27 / 12 / 2004 | Richard Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG

Agapanthus coddii

Common names: Waterberg agapanthus, Codd's agapanthus (Eng.), Waterberg-bloulelie (Afr.)

Family: Agapanthaceae

Summer time is agapanthus season at Kirstenbosch, when the Garden is festooned with masses of these beautiful plants that come in many shapes and sizes...

14 / 01 / 2002 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG