Plants of the Week

Ochna pretoriensis

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Common names: Magalies plane ( Eng. ); Magalies-rooihout (Afr.)

Family: Ochnaceae

Ochna pretoriensis is one of the magnificent evergreen shrubs in South Africa, especially in the warm northern regions of South Africa. It flowers...

28 / 04 / 2008 | A Mothapo | National Herbarium Pretoria

Ochna pulchra

Common names: peeling plane, peeling-bark ochna (Eng.); lekkerbreek (Afr.); monyelewyele (Tswana); monamane, mopha (Northern Sotho); musuma, murambo, tshithothonya

Family: Ochnaceae

This species is better known by its Afrikaans name, lekkerbreek. This is most probably one of South Africa 's most beautiful trees, but also one of...

27 / 06 / 2005 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG

Ochna serrulata

Common names: Mickey Mouse bush, small-leaved plane, carnival bush (Eng.); fynblaarrooihout (Afr.); Umbomvane (Zulu); iliTye (Xhosa)

Family: Ochnaceae

This is certainly a shrub that every gardener should have in their garden, not only because of its beautiful yellow flowers, but also because of its attractive...

02 / 12 / 2002 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ocimum labiatum

Common names: pink sage bush, shell bush (Eng.); pienksalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

A stunning drought-hardy ornamental shrub which thrives in full sun or partial shade, flowering prolifically from early summer to late autumn....

17 / 12 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Ocimum obovatum

Common names: cat's whiskers ( Eng. ); katsnor (Afr.); Idada, Iziba, Ufukuzela, Umathanjane (Zulu)

Family: Lamiaceae

Erect and sometimes spreading, low-growing perennial herb, this plant is an excellent link between lawn and a shrubby border. It is a good candidate for...

04 / 07 / 2005 | T Mukoma | Lowveld NBG

Ocotea bullata

Common names: stinkwood, black stinkwood, Cape laurel, (Eng), stinkhout, swartstinkhout, laurelhout (Afr), umnukani (Zulu), umhlungulu (Xhosa)

Family: Lauraceae

The black stinkwood, or stinkwood as it is commonly known, is a large evergreen tree suitable for large gardens and parks. Along with yellowood, its timber...

06 / 03 / 2006 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Oftia africana

Common names: lazy bush (Eng.); koekblommetjiesbos, sukkelbossie (Afr.)

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Rough to the touch, this shrublet has pretty white flowers that have a sweet, chocolaty fragrance....

17 / 07 / 2017 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Oldenburgia grandis

Common names: Suurberg cushion bush, mountain hunchback, rabbit's ears, lamb's ears, donkey's ears (Eng.); Suurbergkussingbos, Suurbergse dikblaarlepelboom, basters

Family: Asteraceae

Oldenburgia grandis is a remarkable, small, thick-set, tree similar in appearance to some tree proteas, but this strange plant's thistle-like flowers...

02 / 02 / 2004 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Oldenburgia paradoxa

Common names: cliff cushion bush (Eng.); klipkreupelbos (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Oldenburgia paradoxa is an unusual cushion-shaped species of the daisy family that grows on rocks in the Cape mountains and looks like an alpine plant....

08 / 09 / 2014 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Olea capensis

Common names: (subsp. capensis ) small ironwood , black ironwood, buchuwood, buckutree, false ironwood (Eng.); kleinysterhout , basterswartysterhout, basterysterhou

Family: Oleaceae

Happy the grandchild who inherits a garden shaded by a black ironwood tree, for they have grandparents of great foresight and intelligence. These trees...

09 / 12 / 2013 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Olea europaea subsp. africana

Common names: wild olive, olienhout (Afr.), mohlware (NSotho, SSotho), umnquma (Zulu, Xhosa, Swati), mutlhwari (Venda), motlhware (Tswana)

Family: Oleaceae

...

18 / 11 / 2002 | Pitta Joffe | Pretoria NBG

Olea exasperata

Common names: dune olive, coast olive (Eng.); duineolien, glashoutolien, slanghout, vlashoutolien, basterolienhout (Afr.)

Family: Oleaceae

Olea exasperata, one of the wild olive trees of South Africa, is an ornamental shrub or small tree that generally occurs in coastal scrub, on sand dunes...

18 / 11 / 2019 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Olinia emarginata

Common names: mountain hard pear (Eng.); berghardpeer (Afr.)

Family: Oliniaceae

Olinia emarginata is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree, with attractive flowers and berries which makes for an attractive garden ornamental,...

04 / 06 / 2001 | Berenice Carolus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Olinia ventosa

Common names: hard pear ( Eng. ); hardepeer (Afr.); umNgenalahla, iNgobamakhosi, iNqudu, umNonono (Xhosa)

Family: Oliniaceae

This beautiful tree makes a striking impression in spring when it is in full flower and is a good choice for a shade tree or focal point in a garden with...

30 / 01 / 2006 | Penny Jaffe | Kirstenbosch NBG

Oncoba spinosa

Common names: snuff-box tree (Eng.); snuifkalbassie (Afr.)

Family: Salicaceae

This spiny shrub or small tree with pretty white flowers is known for the snuff boxes that can be made from its hard-shelled fruit....

29 / 11 / 2004 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG

Oncosiphon grandiflorum

Common names: matricaria (Engl.); groot stinkkruid, knoppies-stinkkruid, stinkkruid (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

This tall, button-flowered annual is ideal for larger gardens and can be grown as a spring and summer annual....

05 / 10 / 2015 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG

Oncosiphon suffructicosum

Common names: stinkingweed (Eng.); stinkkruid, wurmkruid, wurmbos, miskruid (Afr.); Calomba daisy (Australia), shrubby mayweed (USA).

Family: Asteraceae

Oncosiphon suffruticosum is an aromatic annual with masses of bright yellow flower heads, and is an important Cape herbal medicine....

07 / 11 / 2011 | Anthony R. Magee | Compton Herbarium

Oplismenus hirtellus

Common names: basket grass

Family: Poaceae

An outstanding groundcover for those difficult shady areas under trees, the grass Oplismenus hirtellus makes an interesting textured carpet of deep green...

31 / 01 / 2005 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Orbea

Common names: carrion flower ( Eng. ); aasblom, bokhoring (Afr.)

Family: Apocynaceae

Stapeliads are one of the most interesting groups of succulents — the diversity in shape, colour, size and smell make them an enticing group to collect...

23 / 01 / 2006 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Orbea lutea

Common names: yellow carrion flower (Eng.); geelaasblom, ghaap, gwaap, aasblom, kopseerblom, slang-gwaap (Afr.).

Family: Apocynaceae

...

11 / 01 / 2010 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

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