Plants of the Week

Gladiolus venustus

Common names: bright bonnet, purple kalkoentjie (Eng.); kalkoentjie, perskalkoentjie, haasblom, perdelelie, bontpatryspypie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus venustus is a showy species, with fragrant, purple or pink and yellow flowers in spring, best suited for the arid regions of the winter-rainfall...

01 / 02 / 2021 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG

Gladiolus aureus

Common names: golden gladiolus

Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus aureus is a delicate, cormous plant, producing striking golden-yellow blooms in late winter and spring. Among South Africa’s many critically...

01 / 04 / 2019 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gladiolus alatus

Common names: common kalkoentjie, turkey-wattle flower (Eng.); kalkoentjie, kipkippies (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus alatus is a very brightly coloured plant and will catch your eye wherever you walk, with its showy orange, yellow and green flowers. It populates...

21 / 05 / 2012 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG

Gladiolus carmineus

Common names: cliff gladiolus, Hermanus gladiolus

Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus carmineus is a striking geophyte with intensely red-pink flowers....

02 / 05 / 2011 | M Treurnicht | CREW

Gethyllis afra

Common names: kukumakranka, many-leaved Cape crocus (Eng.); bramakranka, koekoemakranka (Afr.).

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Noted for its curious tuft of spirally twisted leaves, sweet-scented blooms and aromatic berries, this Western Cape bulb has for centuries been cherished...

10 / 07 / 2023 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gladiolus caryophyllaceus

Common names: Pink Afrikander (Eng.); Pienkafrikaner, Sandveldlelie, Sandpypie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus caryophyllaceus is a robust and beautiful pink-flowered cormous plant with a heady perfume reminiscent of cloves and carnations. It makes...

07 / 10 / 2013 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gladiolus dalenii

Common names: African gladiolus, parrot lily, sword lily (Eng.); papegaaigladiolus, wildeswaardlelie (Afr.); khahla-e-kholo (Sesotho); sidvwana (siSwati); isidwi es

Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus dalenii and other Gladiolus species are popular garden plants, cultivated in Europe for more than 250 years and renowned for their striking,...

18 / 04 / 2011 | Stemmer Ngalo | Free State NBG

Gladiolus guthriei

Common names: fragrant afrikaner, rock afrikaner (Eng.); kaneelpypie, aandblom (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus guthriei is a beautiful and highly fragrant species, making it a very worthy addition to the winter garden or container collection.South...

04 / 06 / 2012 | Victoria Wilman | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Gladiolus oppositiflorus

Common names: Transkei gladiolus, salmon gladiolus

Family: Iridaceae

Gladioli are popular garden plants, cultivated in Europe for more than 250 years and renowned for their striking, colourful flowers. But did you know that...

15 / 05 / 2006 | Lize Agenbag | Pretoria NBG

Gloriosa superba

Common names: flame lily, climbing lily, Turk’s cap, superb lily, glory lily, gloriosa lily (Eng.); vlamlelie, boslelie, geelboslelie, rooiboslelie (Afr.); ihlamv

Family: Colchicaceae

Gloriosa superba is a striking climber with unusual and beautiful, red and yellow, flame-like flowers in summer; it is suitable for shade or sun, and is...

15 / 06 / 2015 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

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 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

Gladiolus papilio

Common names: butterfly gladiolus, goldblotch gladiolus (Eng.); ibutha, igulusha (Zul.).

Family: Iridaceae

When exploring the wetlands of the eastern regions of South Africa, these pinkish mauve, nodding flowers are sure to capture your attention....

15 / 03 / 2021 | Simone Chetty | CREW

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

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