Plants of the Week

Pachycarpus schinzianus

Common names: cream cups (Eng.); bitterwortel (Afr.)

Family: Apocynaceae

In spring and summer Pachycarpus schinzianus and Xysmalobium undulatum are the two largest and most readily distinguished asclepiads in the grasslands...

21 / 01 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Crassula dejecta

Common names: doily crassula (Eng.); klipblom (Afr.)

Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula dejecta has decorative, fresh green foliage and showy white summer flowers, a good ground cover for the water-wise garden and a rewarding...

14 / 01 / 2008 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Barringtonia racemosa

Common names: powderpuff tree (Eng.); poeierkwasboom (Afr.); iBhoqo (isiZulu)

Family: Lecythidaceae

This beautiful mangrove tree is easily recognized by its large leaves, delicate white flowers and guava-like fruit that hang in long racemes....

14 / 01 / 2008 | M Cheek | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Salvia africana

Common names: blue African sage, blue sage, wild sage, African sage, purple sage (Eng.); blousalie, bloublomsalie, Afrikaansesalie, perdesalie, wildesalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Salvia africana is a decorative, aromatic shrub with medicinal properties. Keep it neat and pruned and it will reward you with flowers almost all year...

07 / 01 / 2008 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Faurea rochetiana

Common names: broad-leaved boekenhout (Eng.); breëblaarboekenhout (Afr.) ; Mogwapi (North Sotho); siSefo (siSwati); N'wamidzumba (Tsonga); Mutango (tshiVenda)

Family: Proteaceae

At first glance this small tree does not look like a member of the protea family.The broad-leaved boekenhout is a gnarled, deciduous tree of a form one...

07 / 01 / 2008 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Pavetta revoluta

Common names: dune bride's bush ( Eng. ); duinebruidsbos (Afr.); umCilikishe (Xhosa); umHlabambaza (Zulu)

Family: Rubiaceae

This white-flowered shrub or a small tree is a joy to have in the garden; it also attracts wild life to the garden....

31 / 12 / 2007 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Hermannia

Common names: doll's roses (Eng.); poprosie, moederkappie (Afr.)

Family: Malvaceae

A very diverse and attractive group of plants with highly ornamental flowers, fitting into a variety of habitats and growth forms, hermannias are the little...

31 / 12 / 2007 | B Sachse | National Herbarium Pretoria

Pavetta

Common names: bride's bush, Christmas bush ( Eng. ); bruidsboom, bruidsbos, kers(mis)bos (Afr.)

Family: Rubiaceae

When in full flower, these trees or shrubs truly remind one of a beautiful, radiant bride stunningly dressed in a specially designed white garment! As...

24 / 12 / 2007 | Paul Herman | Pretoria NBG

Euphorbia tirucalli

Common names: pencil plant, rubber-hedge euphorbia (Eng.); kraalmelkbos (Afr.)

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia tirucalli has unmistakable, brush-like branch masses that are a noticeable feature of the plant. It occurs over the widest distribution...

24 / 12 / 2007 | Werner Voigt | Harold Porter NBG

Streptocarpus polyanthus

Family: Gesneriaceae

Streptocarpus polyanthus is an interesting stem-less, free-flowering pot plant with unusually thick, scalloped leaves and lovely pale blue flowers in...

17 / 12 / 2007 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Helichrysum aureonitens

Common names: golden everlasting (Eng.); goue sewejaartjie (Afr.); toane-ntja, toane-poli (S. Sotho); impepho-emphlope, indondokozane, inkondlwane (Xhosa)

Family: Asteraceae

The silvery-white leaves of Helichrysum aureonitens contrast well with green plants and create a sense of coolness in a garden. The golden flowers are...

17 / 12 / 2007 | J Ready | National Herbarium Pretoria

Pachypodium

Common names: P. baronii var. windsorii : none; P. * bispinosum : bobbejaankos, kragman, sterkman, kamoa (Afr.); P. densiflorum var. densiflorum, P. geayi, P. horom

Family: Apocynaceae

Pachypodiums are caudiciform succulents and many of the species produce spectacular flowers. They exhibit a wide range of bizarre growth forms, from bottle-,...

10 / 12 / 2007 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Elegia stipularis

Common names: cushion restio

Family: Restionaceae

Elegia stipularis is a colourful and delicate low-growing and water-wise restio that can be used to enliven any garden....

10 / 12 / 2007 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Disa tripetaloides

Family: Orchidaceae

Disa tripetaloides is a terrestrial evergreen orchid with beautiful white flowers. It grows along perennial mountain streams and on damp mountain slopes...

03 / 12 / 2007 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Dietes iridioides

Common names: wild iris, wood iris (Eng.); wilde-iris (Afr.); indawo-yehlathi, isiqiki-sikatokoloshe, isishuphe somfula (isiZulu)

Family: Iridaceae

Dietes iridioides is not common in residential gardens and landscapes, yet it is considered a good garden subject....

03 / 12 / 2007 | Cosmos Radebe | Pretoria NBG

Diospyros dichrophylla

Common names: poison star-apple (Eng.); gifsterappel (Afr.); umnqandane (Zulu)

Family: Ebenaceae

Diospyros dichrophylla is not as well known as some of members of the genus such as the oriental persimmon (D. kaki ), a lovely edible fruit...

26 / 11 / 2007 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG

Aloe pearsonii

Common names: Pearson's aloe

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe pearsonii is a very distinctive aloe with its almost perfectly arranged vertical rows of leaves that cover the slender stems like a long narrow skirt....

26 / 11 / 2007 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG