Plants of the Week

Chlorophytum saundersiae

Common names: weeping anthericum (Eng.); watergras (Afr.)

Family: Agavaceae

Chlorophytum saundersiae is a popular garden plant and is used extensively by landscape gardeners. It has a pleasing grass-like appearance making it a...

13 / 05 / 2013 | A Johannsmeier | Pretoria NBG

Chrysocoma ciliata

Common names: bitter bush, bitter cowcud (Eng.); bitterbos (Afr.); sehalahala (Sesotho)

Family: Asteraceae

A dense, slender-stemmed shrublet that boasts with its alluring, bright yellow, globular flowerheads....

24 / 12 / 2018 | Thembakazi Dyariwe | Kirstenbosch NBG

Chrysocoma coma-aurea

Common names: golden heads, golden bitter bush, golden cowcud (Eng.); bitterbos (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

This species is a showy shrub of fast growth that may be planted close together to form a good border plant, along the edges of a flower bed....

29 / 12 / 2014 | Papama Tsoanyane | Harold Porter NBG

Cichorium intybus

Common names: blue dandelion, chicory (Eng.); sigorei (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Most people will only admire this pretty, blue-flowered weed along roads and in abandoned fields and not know its other useful properties. Although mostly...

19 / 06 / 2017 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Cineraria saxifraga

Common names: wild cineraria; geelblom

Family: Asteraceae

Cineraria saxifraga, with its delicate foliage and bright yellow flowers, is a rewarding and versatile plant for the garden....

18 / 03 / 2002 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cirsium vulgare

Common names: Scottish thistle, spear thistle (Eng.); skotse dissel (Afr.); hlaba (Sesotho); ntsoa-ntsane (Setswana)

Family: Asteraceae

Cirsium vulgare is mostly regarded as a weed or undesirable plant. However, the plants are very attractive and offer lots of rewards for butterflies and...

08 / 05 / 2017 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Citrullus lanatus

Common names: tsamma melon, wild watermelon (Eng.); bitterboela, bitterwaatlemoen, karkoer (Afr.); t'sama (Khoisan); makataan (Tswana)

Family: Cucurbitaceae

...

26 / 12 / 2011 | M Welman | National Herbarium Pretoria

Cladostemon kirkii

Common names: three-finger bush, butterfly-tree (Eng.); Tonga-kierie (Eng. & Afr.); umThekwini, umusi-iyamuka, uphanda, isidumbu (isiZulu)

Family: Brassicaceae

How is it possible that a tree with such attractive flowers should bear fruits with such an awful stench?...

07 / 05 / 2007 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Clematis brachiata

Common names: traveller's joy, old man's beard, wild clematis; klimop, lemoenbloeisels (Afr.); ityolo (isiXhosa); morara (S); mogau (T); umdlonzo (isiZulu)

Family: Ranunculaceae

...

25 / 03 / 2002 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clematis brachiata x villosa ‘Silver Beard’

Common names: silver beard clematis

Family: Ranunculaceae

A sweet, pretty, indigenous hybrid clematis, named in honour of its creator, renowned horticulturist and botanist, Rodney Saunders....

08 / 04 / 2019 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cleome foliosa

Common names: Yellow glory, yellow spindlepod.

Family: Brassicaceae

Cleome foliosa is a charming annual for the water wise garden....

10 / 02 / 2014 | Anthony R. Magee | Compton Herbarium

Cleome gynandra

Common names: African cabbage, spider-wisp (Eng.); murudi (Venda); snotterbelletjie (Afr.); morotho (Northern Sotho)

Family: Capparaceae

African cabbage is of economic importance as it is among the herbs that are used as indigenous vegetables in rural areas of southern Africa. Analyses have...

03 / 10 / 2011 | Cathbert Makgakga | Compton Herbarium

Cleretum bellidiforme

Common names: Buckbay-vygie, Livingstone Bokbayfig, Livingstone Daisy (Eng.); bokbaaivygie, sandvygie, skilpadkos, ysplant (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Cleretum bellidiforme, previously Dorotheanthus bellidiformis, is one of South Africa’s most famous wildflower exports, grown worldwide for its dazzling,...

23 / 10 / 2017 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clerodendron glabrum

Common names: tinderwood (Eng.); moswaapeba (Sotho); tontelhout (Afr.); munukha-tshilongwe (Venda); umqwaqwanam (Xhosa); umQoqonga (Zulu); xinhunwelambeva (Tswana);

Family: Lamiaceae

This is a small tree with smelly leaves and scented flowers in summer. It has many traditional uses....

27 / 08 / 2012 | L Nenungwi | Walter Sisulu NBG

Cliffortia ferruginea

Common names: glossy cliffortia (Eng.); glastee, pypsteelbos, teringtee (Afr.)

Family: Rosaceae

A hardy, attractive ground cover with glossy green foliage that is so very versatile it can find a place to please in any everyone's garden....

12 / 09 / 2005 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cliffortia odorata

Common names: wild vine (Eng.); wildewingerd, wildevyerank (Afr.)

Family: Rosaceae

A hardy evergreen groundcover, with attractive, oval, green leaves, spreading vigorously in full sun or part shade....

29 / 04 / 2019 | Thembakazi Dyariwe | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clitoria ternatea var. ternatea

Common names: butterfly pea, blue pea, kordofan pea, cordofan pea, asian pigeon-wings

Family: Fabaceae

A very attractive species because of its hanging blue flowers, which makes it loved by horticulturists and landscapers. The standard petal with yellow...

23 / 05 / 2016 | Tandiwe Nkonki | National Herbarium Pretoria