Plants of the Week

Syncolostemon obermeyerae

Common names: Soutpansberg sagebush, pink sagebush (Eng.); Soutpansbergsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Syncolostemon obermeyerae is a fast growing, much branched shrub which can grow to 1,8m tall....

30 / 04 / 2001 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG

Syncolostemon transvaalensis

Common names: Mpumalanga sagebush (Eng.), Mpumalangasalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Syncolostemon transvaalensis is decorative, pleasantly aromatic and easy to grow....

05 / 11 / 2001 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Scadoxus membranaceus

Common names: dwarf paintbrush, (Eng.); seeroogblom (Afr.); idumbi (Zul.)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

This beautiful, compact growing, evergreen Scadoxus has spirally arranged leaves and striking red flowerheads that resemble a paint brush, surrounded by...

29 / 10 / 2018 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG

Searsia incisa

Common names: rub-rub currant (Eng.); baardbessie (Afr.); unongqutu (isiXhosa)

Family: Anacardiaceae

Rub-rub currant is an attractive shrub, and, as the common name says, it has edible, furry fruits, that need to be rubbed in the hand a couple of times...

22 / 02 / 2021 | Sibahle Gumede | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Salvia scabra

Common names: coast blue sage (Eng.); kuskruipsalie (Afr.); usikiki (isiXhosa)

Family: Lamiaceae

Salvia scabra is a dainty sage which is adorned with mauve flowers between spring and autumn, with its peak flowering in summer. Being water-wise and its...

12 / 09 / 2016 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Scilla natalensis

This plant is now called Merwilla plumbea....

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Stapelia gigantea

Common names: giant stapelia, giant carrion flower, carrion flower (Eng.); reuseaasblom, aasblom, duikershoring, haasoor (Afr.); ililo elikhulu, isihlehle, uzililo

Family: Apocynaceae

Stapelia gigantea has the largest flowers (up to 40 cm across) of any plant in our region and is one of the easiest stapeliads to grow. Plants are widely...

12 / 04 / 2021 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Scabiosa columbaria

Common names: wild scabious (Engl.); bitterbos (Afr.),tlhako- ea- pitsi, selomi, mamokhale, moholungoane (South Sotho); isilawu, esikhulu, makgha (isiXhosa); ibheka

Family: Dipsacaceae

This is a lovely wild flower species with faintly scented blooms, appearing throughout the year....

20 / 04 / 2015 | Azwinndini Mudau | Free State NBG

Serruria adscendens

Common names: Kleinmond spiderhead

Family: Proteaceae

Serruria adscendens is an attractive, rounded shrub of slopes and flats, in the coastal fynbos between Betty's Bay and Bredasdorp in the Western Cape....

17 / 11 / 2014 | Nosiphelele Patricia Mapukata | Harold Porter NBG

Salvia africana-lutea

Common names: golden sage, beach sage, dune sage, sand sage (Eng.); bruinsalie, sandsalie, strandsalie, geelblomsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Salvia africana-lutea is now called Salvia aurea...

27 / 02 / 2019 | | Harold Porter NBG

Salvia africana-caerulea

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

Family: Lamiaceae

Salvia africana-caerulea is now called Salvia africana....

27 / 02 / 2019 | | Harold Porter NBG

Staavia radiata

Common names: mini diamond eyes (Eng.); altydbos, altydbossie, glasogies (Afr.)

Family: Bruniaceae

A daisy-like fynbos shrub and a favourite in horticulture, with a good reputation, as it responds well to being trimmed and maintained, once propagated....

24 / 05 / 2021 | Siqamo Yeko | Kirstenbosch NBG

Streptocarpus parviflorus

Common names: Cape primrose, wild gloxinia (Engl.)

Family: Gesneriaceae

This is a stemless, soft herbaceous, pot plant, with clusters of white, tubular flowers showing pretty violet streaks in a pale yellow throat....

08 / 06 / 2015 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Searsia burchellii

Common names: Karoo kunibush (Eng.); karookoeniebos (Afr.); mokhoamphiri, tshilabele (Sesotho); motshôtlhô (Tswana)

Family: Anacardiaceae

A much-branched, evergreen shrub or small tree with small, glossy, waxy leaves, common in the dry karroid regions of southern Africa, that is frost hardy...

05 / 12 / 2016 | Stemmer Ngalo | Free State NBG

Syncolostemon canescens

Common names: coconut-scented sagebush, grey-haired sagebush

Family: Lamiaceae

A small, aromatic perennial, with dainty, purplish pink, summer flowers and leaves that have a strong and unusual fruity, coconutty scent; a ‘must-have’...

13 / 03 / 2017 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Saltera sarcocolla

Common names: saltera, Cape fellwort, vlieëbos

Family: Penaeaceae

Saltera sarcocolla belongs to the Penaeaceae, which is a family confined to the fynbos region. Despite interesting variations in plant and flower...

28 / 10 / 2013 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Serruria candicans

Common names: shiny spiderhead (Eng.)

Family: Proteaceae

...

22 / 04 / 2019 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch 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

Salvia aurea

Common names: golden sage, beach sage, dune sage, sand sage (Eng.); bruinsalie, sandsalie, strandsalie, geelblomsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Salvia aurea is an aromatic hardy shrub with unusually coloured flowers borne over a long period. It is fairly fast-growing, up to 2 m, and very attractive...

15 / 07 / 2002 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Salvia albicaulis

Common names: white-stemmed sage (Eng.); witstingelsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

A white stemmed shrub for sunny spots, which contrasts well with many other fynbos plants....

07 / 11 / 2011 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG

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