Plants of the Week

Geissorhiza eurystigma

Common names: wine cups (Engl.); kelkie wyn (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Geissorhiza eurystigma is one of the few species in its genus with such large and colourful flowers. The combination of purple and red is indeed a beautiful...

03 / 11 / 2014 | Brittany Arendse | CREW

Glottiphyllum regium

Common names: tongue-leaved mesemb (Eng.); tongblaarvygie, skilpadkos (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Glottiphyllum regium is a hardy, clump-forming succulent that produces masses of showy, large, yellow flowers from mid-winter until early summer....

22 / 03 / 2010 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG

Gnidia kraussiana

Common names: yellow heads (English); harige gifbossie (Afr.); isidikili, imfuzane, umsilawengwe (isiZulu); umarhedeni (isiXhoza)

Family: Thymelaeaceae

Gnidia kraussiana is a useful medicinal plant, but can be very poisonous to humans. It can also be very poisonous to foraging animals....

31 / 12 / 2013 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Gnidia squarrosa

Common names: saffron bush (Eng.); aandbossie, juffertjie-roer-by-die nag (Afr.)

Family: Thymelaeaceae

Gnidia squarrosa has attractive, multicoloured winter-spring flowers that will fill your garden with perfume in the evenings....

02 / 08 / 2004 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gomphocarpus cancellatus

Common names: wild cotton (Eng.); bergmelkbos, bergtontelbos, dermhout, gansiesbos, katoenbos, melkbos, regopmelkbos (Afr.)

Family: Apocynaceae

Gomphocarpus cancellatus, wild cotton, is an elegant bush, which in the sterile state resembles a protea bush. The flowers are accumulated in dense...

14 / 04 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Gomphocarpus fruticosus

Common names: milkweed, wild cotton (Eng.); gansie, melkbos (Afr.); Lebegane (Sotho); Umsinga-lwesalukazi (Zulu)

Family: Apocynaceae

Gomphocarpus fruticosus is a herbaceous, perennial, spindly shrub, often with watery or milky sap. It has ovoid fruits (follicles) of a clear, pale green...

28 / 11 / 2005 | Alec Naidoo | Pretoria NBG

Gasteria barbae

Common names: Hakerville gasteria

Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria barbae is an exciting, new discovery confined to the coastal cliffs near Hakerville in the Knysna District. It has small rosettes of leaves covered...

31 / 03 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gomphocarpus physocarpus

Common names: balloon milkweed, balloon wild cotton, hairy balls, bindweed (Eng.); balmelkbossie, balbossie, wilde kapok (Afr.); umbababa, umbemiso, umangwazane, um

Family: Apocynaceae

Gomphocarpus physocarpus has striking yellowish, ball-like fruits and is an excellent butterfly plant, but it is poisonous if ingested; so keep it...

04 / 01 / 2010 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gomphostigma virgatum

Common names: river star, otter bush, besembossie

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Gomphostigma virgatum is a beautiful, evergreen, perennial shrub that can grow up to 2,6m high....

03 / 12 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Grewia bicolor

Common names: white raisin (Eng.); witrosyntjie (Afr.); umsiphane (Swazi); nsihana, guguna, nsihani (Tsonga); mogwane (Tswana); murabva (Venda); umlalampunzi, imdli

Family: Malvaceae

The bicoloured-leaved Grewia bicolor has beautiful, bright yellow flowers. It is a frost-resistant, hardy shrub or small tree that is adaptable...

10 / 09 / 2012 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Grewia flavescens

Common names: sandpaper raisin, rough-leaved raisinbush, square-stemmed raisin (Eng.); skurweblaarrosyntjie (Afr.); mogwane (N. Sotho); loklolo (Swazi); nsihana, nc

Family: Malvaceae

The light green Grewia flavescens has beautiful, bright yellow, and sometimes fragrant flowers. It is a frost-resistant, hardy shrub or small...

05 / 11 / 2012 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Grewia hexamita

Common names: giant raisin (Eng.); reuserosyntjie, blinkblaarrosyntjie (Afr.); umsiphane (Swazi); nsihana, guguna, nsihani, sipane (Tsonga); mukunukunu (Venda); uml

Family: Malvaceae

The glossy dark green leafed Grewia hexamita has beautiful large, yellow, honey-scented flowers. It is a frost-resistant, hardy shrub or small...

20 / 08 / 2012 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Grewia monticola

Common names: grey raisin, silver raisin (Eng.); vaalrosyntjie (Afr.); umsiphane (Swazi); nsihana (Tsonga); mogwanakg & ocirc;mo, mogwana (Tswana); umlalampunzi, is

Family: Malvaceae

The mountain-loving Grewia monticola has beautiful, bright yellow flowers. It is a frost-resistant, hardy shrub or small tree that is adaptable to all...

26 / 11 / 2012 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Grewia occidentalis

Common names: cross-berry, four-corner (E), kruisbessie (A), Mokukutu (Setsw.), Mogwane (N.Sotho), iLalanyathi (Zulu), umSipane (Siswati), umNqabaza (Xhosa), Mulemb

Family: Malvaceae

This attractive indigenous shrub has a wide natural distribution....

19 / 11 / 2001 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG

Grewia robusta

Common names: Karoo crossberry, Karoo crossberry raisin (Eng.); karookruisbessie (Afr); umnqabaza (Xhosa).

Family: Malvaceae

The sweetly scented Grewia robusta has beautiful, bright pink flowers. It is a frost-resistant, hardy shrub or small tree that is adaptable to...

24 / 12 / 2012 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Grewia lasiocarpa

Common names: forest raisin (Eng.); bosrosyntjie (Afr.); umhlolo (Xhosa); ilalanyathi (Zulu)

Family: Malvaceae

Grewia lasiocarpa is a wonderful fast-growing small tree, ideal for use as a screen, with lovely large, star-shaped pink flowers and fruit that is...

11 / 06 / 2007 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Greyia

Common names: wild bottlebrush family

Family: Greyiaceae

This family occurs only in South Africa, and consists of a single genus, Greyia Hook. & Harv. with 3 species, all small trees or shrubs. The...

20 / 09 / 2010 | F Nonyane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Greyia flanaganii

Common names: Kei bottlebrush (E), Kei baakhout (A), uSinga lwamaxhegokazi (X).

Family: Melianthaceae

Greyia flanaganii has great horticultural potential as a spring flowering shrub that is yet to be fully explored by growers and gardeners. This tree...

14 / 10 / 2002 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Greyia sutherlandii

Common names: glossy bottlebrush, mountain bottlebrush, Natal bottlebrush, wild bottlebrush, beacon tree (Eng.); blinkblaarbaakhout, Natalse baakhout (Afr.); isidw

Family: Melianthaceae

This is a most decorative plant and is becoming popular as an ornamental subject in gardens....

02 / 10 / 2006 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Greyia radlkoferi

Common names: woolly bottlebrush, Transvaal bottlebrush, wild bottlebrush (Eng.); wollerige baakhout (Afr.); isidwadwa (Zulu); inhlazane, indlebelembila (Swazi)

Family: Melianthaceae

The gnarled branches of Greyia radlkoferi make this small tree or shrub an attractive structural element for any garden. In nature, growing in misty gullies...

11 / 10 / 2004 | De La Cruz P | Kirstenbosch NBG

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