Plants of the Week

Colophospermum mopane

Common names: mopane, turpentine tree (Eng.); mopanie (Afr.); mohlanare (Northern Sotho); mophane (Tswana)

Family: Fabaceae

These beautiful trees with their distinctive butterfly-shaped leaves and strange seeds are, for many, the essence of South Africa's lowveld areas,...

20 / 01 / 2003 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Colpias mollis

Common names: klipblom (Afr.)

Family: Scrophulariaceae

...

26 / 07 / 2004 | Hester Steyn | Pretoria NBG

Colpoon compressum

Common names: Cape sumach, coast tannin bush (Eng.); wildepruim, wurgbessie, basbessie, kuslooibas, namtarri (Afr.); mtekaaza, umbalanythi (Xhosa); umbulanyathi (Zu

Family: Santalaceae

Colpoon compressum, is a very decorative and useful plant in cultivation as well as in its natural habitat. It is a hemi-parasitic plant, in...

29 / 05 / 2006 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Combretum apiculatum subsp. apiculatum

Common names: red bush willow (Eng.); rooiboswilg (Afr.); umbondwe (Zulu); imbondvo (Swazi); mohwidiri (Tswana); mohwelere (Sepedi); muvuvha (Tshivenda); ndhuva (Ts

Family: Combretaceae

Combretum apiculatum subsp. apiculatum is an attractive, deciduous, small to medium-sized tree that occurs in various savanna regions, often at low altitudes...

10 / 01 / 2011 | T.T. Masupa | Pretoria NBG

Combretum bracteosum

Common names: hiccough-nut, hiccup nut, hiccough creeper (Eng.); hikklimop (Afr.); uQotha (Xhosa)

Family: Combretaceae

The Combretum bracteosum is unique amongst our bushwillows in that it does not have the characteristic, papery, four-winged fruit which is familiar...

14 / 06 / 2004 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Combretum erythrophyllum

Common names: river bushwillow (Eng.), riviervaderlandswilg, rooiblaar, rooiblad (Afr.), umbondwe, umdubu-wehlandze, umhlalavane (Zulu), umdubu (Xhosa), miavana, mo

Family: Combretaceae

One of the winged wonders belonging to the bushwillow family, this medium-sized tree is a fast grower, producing creamy flowers and beautiful 4-winged...

30 / 06 / 2003 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG

Combretum hereroense

Common names: russet bushwillow, mouse-eared combretum (Eng.); kierieklapper (Afr.); mokabi (Northern Sotho); mugavhi (Venda); umhlalavane (Zulu)

Family: Combretaceae

Combretum hereroense is a valuable species that has interesting horticultural characters all year round; the leaves and seed pods turn coppery, and a touch...

06 / 05 / 2019 | Refilwe Maria Malatji | Pretoria NBG

Combretum imberbe

Common names: leadwood (Eng.); hardekool (Afr.); motswiri (Pedi); ummono (Sotho); mondzo (Tsonga); motswere (Tswana); umbondwe omnyama (Zulu); mohwelere-tshipi (Nor

Family: Combretaceae

Combretum imberbe is the most impressive of our combretums; even when it is dead, leadwood presents an imposing display, with its almost white trunk...

10 / 04 / 2006 | Patrick Mtsweni | Walter Sisulu NBG

Combretum kraussii

Common names: forest bushwillow (Eng.), bosvaderlandswilg (Afr.), uhwabhu, umdubu-wehlathi (Zulu), ulandile (Xhosa), imbondvo-lemhlophe, umdvubu (Swazi), modlubu (N

Family: Combretaceae

Handsome, quick growing and reasonably cold resistant, this tree is recommended for shady areas in gardens with a mild to warm climate....

07 / 07 / 2003 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG

Combretum microphyllum

Common names: flame creeper

Family: Combretaceae

This is a spectacular creeper providing a spring spectacle of flaming crimson, flowering splendour. It is an excellent plant to fill the gaps in larger...

23 / 06 / 2003 | Y Reynolds | Lowveld NBG

Combretum molle

Common names: velvet bush willow, velvet leaf willow (Eng.); fluweelboswilg, basterrooibos (Afr.); mokgwethe (North Sotho); iNkukutwane (Siswati); xikhukhutsane (Ts

Family: Combretaceae

This is a decorative tree, well suited for a summer rainfall garden....

31 / 10 / 2011 | T.T. Masupa | National Herbarium Pretoria

Combretum mossambicense

Common names: knobbly creeper (Eng.); knoppiesklimop (Afr.)

Family: Combretaceae

Masses of lovely fluffy pink-white flowers are displayed on bare branches in early spring. Fragrant and resembling small powder puffs, they lure a variety...

11 / 08 / 2003 | Pitta Joffe | Pretoria NBG

Combretum vendae

Common names: Venda bushwillow (Eng.); vendaboswilg (Afr.); gopo-gopo, gopokopo-bani (Venda)

Family: Combretaceae

...

19 / 09 / 2016 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG

Combretum woodii

Common names: large-leaved forest bushwillow (Eng.); grootblaarvaderlandswilg (Afr.); iWaphu (Zulu); Mbondvo sehlatsi (Swazi)

Family: Combretaceae

...

14 / 02 / 2005 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Combretum zeyheri

Common names: large-fruited bushwillow, Zeyher’s bushwillow (Eng.); raasblaar, fluisterboom (Afr.); moduba-tshipi (Sepedi); umbondwe wasembudwini (isi Zulu); mufh

Family: Combretaceae

Combretum zeyheri is a bushveld tree, with a rounded crown shape, single or multi-stemmed, with the bark that is smooth and whitish in colour. It is an...

25 / 05 / 2015 | Andrew Hankey | Pretoria NBG

Commelina africana

Common names: common yellow commelina (Eng.); geeleendagsblom (Afr.); idangabane (Zulu), lekzotswana (Xhosa); khopo, khotsoana, lekxopswana, tabola-lefalo (Southern

Family: Commelinaceae

Commelina africana differs from most other Commelina species by having pretty, small, canary-yellow flowers instead of the usual blue flowers, and also...

09 / 04 / 2007 | C Mudau | National Herbarium Pretoria

Commelina benghalensis

Common names: Benghal dayflower, tropical spiderwort, Benghal wandering Jew (Eng.); blouselblommetjie (Afr.); lala-tau, khopo-e-nyenyane, khotsoana (Sesotho); uhlot

Family: Commelinaceae

Commelina benghalesis is a common, widespread weed found throughout southern Africa, tropical Africa and Asia and it is difficult to eradicate in cultivated...

24 / 10 / 2016 | Aluwani Tshiila | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Commiphora

Common names: corkwood, commiphora; (Eng.); kanniedood (Afr.)

Family: Burseraceae

The corkwoods are a fascinating group of trees, because of their bizarre appearance, but more importantly for their historical and biblical association...

31 / 01 / 2011 | Beate Hölscher | National Herbarium Pretoria

Commiphora harveyi

Common names: copper-stem corkwood, red-stem corkwood (Eng.); koperstamkanniedood, rooistamkanniedood (Afr.); umhlunguthi, ulonwabo (isiXhosa); iminyela, umbumbunga

Family: Burseraceae

An interesting tree because of its unusual appearance of silky, copper-like bark that peels in large flakes; a great specimen for making bonsai trees and...

14 / 08 / 2017 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Conicosia pugioniformis subsp. pugioniformis

Common names: giant clockplant, pigroot, pig salad, narrow-leaved ice plant (Eng.); groot vetkousie, varkslaai, gansies, varkwortel, snotwortel (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

A striking, yellow flowering, die-hard, succulent groundcover, suited to sandy and coastal gardens, rockeries or pots....

02 / 09 / 2019 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG

Browse through all previous entries of Plants Of The Week

Pages

Pages