Plants of the Week

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E.g., 07/12/2023
E.g., 07/12/2023

Aloe linearifolia

Aloe linearifolia flowers
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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Aloe longistyla

Aloe longistyla flowers
Common names: Karoo aloe (Eng.); ramenas, Karoo-aalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe longistylsa is a small and elusive aloe that uses excellent camouflage to help it blend in with its environment. It is only easily seen in its natural...

01 / 06 / 2009 | Werner Voigt | Harold Porter NBG
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Aloidendron tongaense

Flowers
Common names: Tonga tree aloe (Eng.); Tonga boomaalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

A medium-sized tree-aloe endemic to the coastal forests in northern Zululand and southern Mozambique. It has showy, curved, orange flowers, and grows well...

05 / 01 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Azanza garckeana

Azanza garckeana (Bart Wurston)
Common names: azanza, quarters, Rhodesian tree-hibiscus, slime-apple, snot-apple, tree-hibiscus (Eng.); slymappel, snotappel (Afr.); caglacagla, ixaguxagu, ixakuxak
Family: Malvaceae

Azanza garckeana with its non-aggressive root system, large leaves and crinkled yellow flowers, makes a beautiful shade tree which has the added bonus...

18 / 12 / 2017 | Ashton Welcome | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Aloe maculata

Aloe maculata inflorescence
Common names: soap aloe (Eng.); bontaalwyn (Afr.); lekhala (S. Sesotho)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Although essentially a summer garden plant, it is indeed a garden plant for all seasons. There is always something of interest, even in mid winter (May-July)...

02 / 08 / 2010 | Stemmer Ngalo | Free State NBG
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Adromischus umbraticola

Adromischus umbraticola growing in the Magaliesberg. Photo Richard Gill
Common names: cliff adromischus (Eng); krans-brosplakkie (Afr)
Family: Crassulaceae

Adromischus umbraticola is a fast-growing, tufted, dwarf, succulent shrub, with attractive rounded leaves and short spikes of pink flowers in late summer....

18 / 07 / 2022 | Caroline Marima | Pretoria NBG
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Aloe marlothii

Growing in Kirstenbosch
Common names: mountain aloe, flat-flowered aloe (Eng.); bergalwyn (Afr.); inhlaba, umhlaba (Zulu)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe marlothii is a striking, robust, large, single-stemmed aloe with a majestic presence. The mountain aloe is without doubt one of southern Africa's...

15 / 10 / 2007 | P Emms | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Adenia glauca

Adenia glauca
Common names: blue leaved elephant’s foot (Eng.); bobbebjaangif (Afr.)
Family: Passifloraceae

The oddly shaped, swollen stem and twining vines of Adenia glauca can be seen growing in the driest parts of southern Africa. Its soft greyish green, palmately-shaped...

16 / 03 / 2020 | Jermaine Christoffels | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe melanacantha

Aloe melanacantha
Common names: black-thorn aloe, small mountain aloe (Eng.); swartdoringaalywn kleinbergaalwyn, goree (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

The true beauty of Aloe melanacantha can only be appreciated when seen flowering in the veld. Its formidable black thorns add an exquisite dimension when...

25 / 06 / 2007 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe microstigma

Aloe microstigma
Common names: Karoo aloe, small-spotted aloe (Eng.); karoo-aalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe microstigma is one of the most floriferous aloes in South Africa. It is a common and widespread species that transforms the dull winter landscape...

14 / 07 / 2003 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Adromischus triflorus

Adromischus triflorus
Common names: duck's foot, calico heart (Eng.); bontplakkie, eendevoet (Afr.)

Family: Crassulaceae

The spotted leaves of Adromischus triflorus would give any miniature or water-wise landscape a bit of texture and contrast. This evergreen species is compact...

23 / 03 / 2020 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG
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Ammocharis baumii

Ammocharis baumii as a container subject. (Photo Graham Duncan)
Common names: Baum’s ammocharis
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Ammocharis baumii is a dwarf bulbous plant, with attractive, but fleeting, pink, sweetly-scented flowers, with an extremely long perianth tube. It is easily...

30 / 03 / 2020 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe nubigena

Aloe nubigena
Common names: Graskop cliff aloe (Eng.), Graskop krans-aalwyn (Afr.).
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe nubigena is an attractive small aloe with soft, strap-shaped leaves and is ideal for growing in hanging baskets....

11 / 05 / 2009 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe pearsonii

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
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Aloe peglerae

Aloe peglerae
Common names: Vuurpylaalwyn
Family: Asphodelaceae
18 / 02 / 2002 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Aloe mitriformis

Aloe mitriformis
Common names: mitre aloe (Eng.); krans aalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

There are not many aloes from the Cape that flower during summer, hence those that do are more sought after. Those of you who love gardening with bright...

11 / 07 / 2005 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe pictifolia

Aloe pictifolia growing at Kirstenbosch NBG
Common names: Kouga -aalwyn (Afr.), Kouga aloe (Eng.).
Family: Asphodelaceae

An attractive small aloe with greyish-green leaves ornamented with many white spots. It is easily grown and popular in cultivation....

28 / 07 / 2008 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Athanasia crithmifolia

Athanasia crithmifolia
Common names: samphire-leaf athanasia, thread-leaf klaas louw bush (Eng.); draadblaar-klaaslouwbos, klaaslouwbossie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A fast-growing herbaceous shrub with grey-green foliage and showy bright yellow flower-heads in early to midsummer; it’s easy to grow and water wise,...

22 / 01 / 2018 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloidendron pillansii

Stems leaves and old inflorescences
Common names: giant quiver tree, bastard quiver tree (Eng.); reuse kokerboom, baster-kokerboom (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloidendron pillansii is arguably the scarcest of all tree aloes in southern Africa.  It was previously called Aloe pillansii, however a new genus...

24 / 02 / 2014 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Albuca lebaensis

Albuca lebaensis inflorescence.
Common names: Leba cliff albuca (Eng.); lebakransbol (Afr.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

A rare endemic from cliffs adjacent to Leba Pass, near Lubango, in southwestern Angola. It has drooping leaves and a pendent inflorescence of densely packed,...

29 / 01 / 2018 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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