Plants of the Week

Aloe cryptopoda

Common names: tweekleur-aalwyn, geelaalwyn (Afrikaans)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe cryptopoda is a very attractive and unique species; it is a popular garden plant and provides a spectacular display when in full flower. It thrives...

07 / 06 / 2010 | Patrick Mtsweni | Lowveld NBG

Anemone vesicatoria

Common names: blisterleaf (Eng.); brandblaar, katjiedrieblaar, tandpynblaar, peperwortel (Afr.)

Family: Ranunculaceae

Anemone vesicatoria is one of the few and best fynbos plants for the shady garden. Tough and water-wise, a mature clump of this plant with its attractive...

04 / 02 / 2008 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Albizia suluensis

Common names: Zulu false-thorn, Zulu albizia (Eng.); zuluvalsdoring (Afr.); ingwebu-enkulu, ungwebo omkulu, unyazangoma (Zulu)

Family: Fabaceae

A beautiful, elegant tree only found in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It is known for its hard and durable timber. It is very similar to Albizia lebbeck,...

06 / 11 / 2017 | Tlou Moloto | National Herbarium Pretoria

Aloidendron dichotomum

Common names: quiver tree (Eng.); kokerboom (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

The quiver tree or Aloidendron dichotomum is probably the best known aloe found in South Africa and Namibia. Visitors to the Western Cape can see a ...

12 / 08 / 2002 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG

Aloidendron ramosissimum

Common names: maiden's quiver tree (Eng.); nooienskokerboom (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

This aloe is without a doubt the most profusely branched of all aloes. Like its closest relative, Aloidendron dichotomum or quiver tree, it has a very...

19 / 04 / 2004 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG

Aloe falcata

Common names: Vanrhynsdorp aloe

Family: Asphodelaceae

...

10 / 07 / 2006 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG

Aloe ferox

Common names: bitter aloe, red aloe (English); bitteraalwyn, bergaalwyn (Afrikaans); iNhlaba (Zulu); iKhala (Xhosa)

Family: Asphodelaceae

This is one of the best known South african plants with a long history of medicinal use. An attractive form of Aloe ferox is found in KwaZulu-Natal,...

23 / 07 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Asclepias genus

Common names: milkweed (Eng.); melkbos (Afr.)

Family: Apocynaceae

Members of the genus Asclepias (as most of the taxa in the family Apocynaceae in the broad sense, subfamily Asclepiadoideae), are an interesting group...

17 / 02 / 2020 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Aloe gariepensis

Common names: Gariep aloe, Orange River aloe

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe gariepensis is a very hardy aloe from the arid regions of South Africa and Namibia and is restricted to the lower reaches of the Gariep River also...

17 / 12 / 2012 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG

Aloe greatheadii var. davyana

Common names: spotted aloe (Eng.); Transvaalaalwyn, grasaalwyn (Afr.); kgopane (Tswana)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe greatheadii var. davyana is a drab and uninteresting plant, but when it flowers in winter, it is spectacular. It is a plant that will...

02 / 07 / 2007 | Jean Meyer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Ammocharis coranica

Common names: karoo lily, koranna lily, sore eye flower, bible flower, ground lily (Eng.); berglelie, gifbol, seeroogblom (Afr.); boka (Sesotho); isidiya, icukudo,

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Ammocharis coranica lives up to its common name, sore eye flower. This striking beautiful bulb, with its umbel inflorescence, delivers spectacular flower...

20 / 11 / 2017 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG

Aloe greenii

Common names: ground spotted aloe (Eng.); iCeza lesikhotha (isiZulu)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe greenii is an excellent rockery plant and makes a good display pot plant in the shade. It has an impressive pink inflorescence that attracts sunbirds....

17 / 09 / 2012 | Phakamani Xaba | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe hardyi

Common names: Penge aloe

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe hardyi is a decorative pendent aloe with grey-green soft leaves in rosettes at the end of hanging stems. ...

12 / 03 / 2007 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe huntleyana

Common names: Huntley aloe (Eng.); Huntley-aalwyn (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe huntleyana is a small creeping aloe species with greyish green leaves ornamented at the base with white spots. It branches to form clusters of...

06 / 05 / 2014 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Astroloba cremnophila

Common names: cliff astroloba (Eng.); krans-astroloba (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Astroloba cremnophila is a small, cluster-forming, leaf succulent from the cliffs along the Buffelsrivier. The plant has leafy, succulent stems, the leaves...

28 / 03 / 2016 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe khamiesensis

Common names: Khamiesberg aloe (Eng.); Kamiesberg-aalwyn, tweederly (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

The bright red flowering spikes of Aloe khamiesensis against the blue Namaqualand skies are a sight to behold. The charismatic plants flower in abundance...

27 / 09 / 2010 | Werner Voigt | Harold Porter NBG

Aloe reitzii var. vernalis

Common names: Vryheid aloe

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe reitzii var. vernalis is a rare endemic known from a single population, growing on steep slopes around Vryheid in KwaZulu-Natal. It has showy, dark...

11 / 12 / 2017 | Hlengiwe Mtshali | CREW

Aloe castanea

Common names: cat's tail aloe (Eng.), katstertaalwyn (Afr.), borolo, suwopa, sekgopha (Northern Sotho)

Family: Asphodelaceae

An attractive, large aloe that occurs in savanna and grassland, with very distinctive spreading branches and snake-like Inflorescences; and flowers filled...

02 / 03 / 2020 | Ntuthuko Mabuya | Pretoria NBG

Aloe krapohliana

Common names: Krapohl's aloe

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe krapohliana is a distinctive smallish aloe which falls under a group of aloes characterized by short stemless plants, leaf rosettes that form near...

18 / 05 / 2009 | Werner Voigt | Harold Porter NBG

Aloe linearifolia

Common names: dwarf yellow grass aloe (Eng.); inkhuphuyana (isiZulu)

Family: Asphodelaceae

This aloe is useful for landscaping a grassland garden. It looks spectacular when it is in flower....

10 / 10 / 2011 | Lufuno Konanani | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

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