Plants of the Week

Buddleja saligna

Common names: false olive (English); witolien (Afrikaans); umBatacwepe (Siswati); lelothwane (South Sotho); mothlware (Tswana); unGqeba (Xhosa); iGqeba-elimhlope (Z

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Buddleja saligna is a tree up to 10 m tall in warm moist areas but usually 4 to 5 metres in Highveld areas. ...

07 / 01 / 2002 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Buddleja glomerata

Common names: Karoo sagewood, sneezebush, cockroach (Eng.); Karoo-salie, kakkerlak, hoesbos, niesbos (Afr.)

Family: Scrophulariaceae

The Karoo sagewood is an attractive foliage plant with silvery, scalloped leaves and heads of yellow flowers during spring and summer. It forms a small...

25 / 10 / 2004 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Buddleja loricata

Common names: mountain sagewood (Eng.); bergsaliehout (Afr.); Lelora (Southern Sotho); umngane (Zulu)

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Mountain sagewood is an interesting Buddleja for small gardens or town houses, particularly those inland at higher altitudes. It has a tidy, rounded shape,...

21 / 03 / 2005 | Luambo David Rambuwani | Free State NBG

Buddleja salviifolia

Common names: sagewood, butterfly bush, mountain sage (Eng.); saliehout (Afr.); ewanci, ilotana, igqange (Xhosa); igwangi, iloshane, ilothane, ilotshane, mupambati

Family: Scrophulariaceae

This small tree is deliciously scented in early spring....

06 / 08 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Bulbinella latifolia subsp. doleritica

Common names: rooikatstert

Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbinella latifolia subsp. doleritica is a rare species from the Bokkeveld plateau and occurs in the vicinity of the internationally famous...

09 / 08 / 2010 | Ismail Ebrahim | CREW

Bulbine abyssinica

Common names: bushy bulbine (Eng.); geelkatstert, wildekopieva (Afr.); ibhucu (Zulu); intelezi (Xhosa); moetsa-mollo (Sotho)

Family: Asphodelaceae

The bushy bulbine, Bulbine abyssinica, is a hardy, water-wise plant that offers a brilliant yellow display when in flower. Inflorescences with...

06 / 11 / 2006 | Ronell R. Klopper | Pretoria NBG

Bulbine cremnophila

Common names: Baviaanskloof cliff bulbine (Eng.); Baviaanskloof kranskopieva (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbine cremnophila is a cliff hugger growing in small clusters with hanging leaves and yellow flowers during spring. It thrives in cultivation in containers...

10 / 01 / 2011 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Bulbine frutescens

Common names: stalked bulbine, snake flower, cat's tail, burn jelly plant (Eng.); balsem kopieva, geelkatstert (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

This is a popular, waterwise garden plant, especially when planted en masse as a ground cover, or in rock gardens. It is also cultivated for its medicinal...

22 / 03 / 2004 | Shireen Harris | Free State NBG

Bergbambos tessellata

Common names: Drakensberg bamboo, wild bamboo, African bamboo, southern mountain bamboo (Eng.); bergbamboes (Afr.); uduli, uqalo (Xho.)

Family: Poaceae

This is one of only two species of bamboo that are indigenous to South Africa. It is a small, tough bamboo that will tolerate wind and frost, preferring...

15 / 04 / 2019 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG

Bulbinella

Common names: bulbinella (Eng.); katstert (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

The genus Bulbinella includes 18 species occurring in the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa and an additional six species from...

19 / 03 / 2012 | S Boatwright | Compton Herbarium

Bulbine pendens

Growing in habitat Paradyskloof in spring.

Common names: bootlace bulbine (Eng.); skoenveter kopieva (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

This is a dwarf, summer-deciduous succulent with drooping, string-like leaves and ascending yellow flowers from cliffs in northern Namaqualand and the...

09 / 09 / 2013 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Bulbine latifolia

Common names: broad-leaved bulbine (Eng.); rooiwortel, geelkopieva (Afr.); incelwane (isiXhosa), ibhucu (isiZulu)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbine latifolia is one of the largest species in the genus. It can be identified by its aloe-like growth, but with an absence of marginal teeth on the...

15 / 08 / 2005 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Bulbine narcissifolia

Common names: strap-leafed bulbine, snake flower (Eng.); lintblaar bulbine, geelslangkop, wildekopieva (Afr.); khomo-ea-balisa, serelelile (Southern Sotho)

Family: Asphodelaceae

The grey-green, laxly twisted leaves and compact inflorescence of yellow flowers and white bracts covering the flower buds, make the strap-leafed bulbine, Bulbine...

05 / 11 / 2007 | Ronell R. Klopper | Biosystematics

Burchellia bubalina

Common names: wild pomegranate (Eng.); wildegranaat (Afr.); iThobankomo (X), isiGolwane (Z); maHlosana (Sw)

Family: Rubiaceae

The wild pomegranate is an attractive ornamental shrub/tree that is also used to attract nectar-feeding birds. The combination of its bright red flowers...

14 / 02 / 2005 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG

Burkea africana

Common names: wild seringa (Eng.); wildesering (Afr.); mpulu (Tsonga), monato (Tswana); monatô (Northern Sotho); mufhulu (Venda)

Family: Fabaceae

An attractive, medium-sized, flat-topped tree, difficult to grow and not yet produced on a commercial scale....

25 / 01 / 2010 | T.T. Masupa | National Herbarium Pretoria

Buxus macowanii

Common names: African box, Cape box, small-leaved box (Eng.), buig-my-nie, Afrikaansebuksboom, Kaapsebuksboom, kleinblaarbuksboom (Afr.), igalagala (isiXhosa), umga

Family: Buxaceae

A small, very slow-growing tree with a clean slender stem and a dense crown of shiny green leaves; it is a good pot plant, can be clipped and trained into...

06 / 05 / 2002 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG

Babiana sambucina subsp. sambucina

Common names: fragrant babiana (Eng.); bobbejaantjie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Babiana sambucina subsp. sambucina is an attractive, dwarf, spring-flowering bulbous plant, which is drought tolerant and water-wise....

13 / 05 / 2019 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG

Barleria virgula

Common names: sand bush violet (Eng.); sandbosviooltjie (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

‘The drier I get, the better I flower!’...

13 / 03 / 2017 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Babiana noctiflora

Common names: night-scented baboon flower, night bobbejaantjie (Eng.); aandbobbejaantjie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

A night-scented bobbejaantjie that is rare in fynbos, with yellow flowers that are adapted to their night-flying moth pollinators by remaining open and...

01 / 11 / 2021 | Tamanna Patel | TSP

Barleria macrostegia

Common names: tongklapper (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

A groundcover with a strange flower cluster....

12 / 08 / 2019 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

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