Plants of the Week Advanced Search

Asparagus ramosissimus

Common names: cascade asparagus (Eng.); krulkransie (Afr.); ibutha (Zulu and siSwati); kgopa, sesilatsane (Sesotho)

Family: Asparagaceae

Asparagus ramosissimus is an evergreen perennial with abundant soft, light green foliage and a cascading habit, suited to the shady garden or patio....

11 / 05 / 2015 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG

Asparagus rubicundus

Common names: red-stemmed asparagus, wild asparagus (Eng.); wag-‘n-bietjie, swart haakdoring (Afr.)

Family: Asparagaceae

An erect thorny shrub with glossy, reddish brown, thorny stems, soft feathery foliage and starry white flowers, and one of the fastest growing species...

10 / 06 / 2019 | Loretta Floors | Harold Porter NBG

Astroloba cremnophila

Common names: cliff astroloba (Eng.); krans-astroloba (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Astroloba cremnophila is a small, cluster-forming, leaf succulent from the cliffs along the Buffelsrivier. The plant has leafy, succulent stems, the leaves...

28 / 03 / 2016 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Asystasia varia

Common names: Asystasia

Family: Acanthaceae

This lovely garden plant grows very well in shady gardens, as well as in containers (hanging baskets), which is probably the most innovative way to optimize...

13 / 02 / 2006 | T Mukoma | Lowveld NBG

Athanasia dentata

Common names: toothed-leaf athanasia (Eng.); geelblombos (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Green and golden is the best way to describe Athanasia dentata....

18 / 11 / 2002 | Christien Malan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Athrixia phylicoides

Common names: Bushman's tea (Eng.); Boesmanstee (Afr.); Icholocholo, itshelo, umthsanelo (isiZulu)

Family: Asteraceae

This is a stunning plant that has a great horticultural potential in cultivation. Its beautiful flowers and the soft texture of the leaves make it an asset...

23 / 05 / 2005 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aulax pallasia

Common names: needle-leaf featherbush (Eng.); dunbeentjieebos, naaldbaarkanariebos, kersbos (Afr.).

Family: Proteaceae

A needle-leaved, long-lived, evergreen fynbos shrub with male and female flowers on separate plants that look quite different from each other. The male...

17 / 07 / 2023 | Yonela Dyakobe | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aulax umbellata

Common names: Broad-leaf Featherbush (Eng.), Veerkanariebos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

A slender shrub with bright yellow flowerheads contrasting vividly with the purplish brown young foliage around the flowerheads during summer....

03 / 12 / 2001 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG

Avicennia marina

Common names: white mangrove (Eng.); witseebasboom (Afr.); mangal, towozi, txomahati (Xironga); isikhungathi (isiXhosa, isiZulu) - these from Van Wyk et al. (2011);

Family: Avicenniaceae

Every travel agent's idea of a tropical paradise involves white, palm-fringed beaches and "the murmur of summer seas" - but what are those...

20 / 06 / 2011 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Azanza garckeana

Common names: azanza, quarters, Rhodesian tree-hibiscus, slime-apple, snot-apple, tree-hibiscus (Eng.); slymappel, snotappel (Afr.); caglacagla, ixaguxagu, ixakuxak

Family: Malvaceae

Azanza garckeana with its non-aggressive root system, large leaves and crinkled yellow flowers, makes a beautiful shade tree which has the added bonus...

18 / 12 / 2017 | Ashton Welcome | National Herbarium Pretoria

Azima tetracantha

Common names: bee-sting bush, needle bush, four-thorns, stink bush (Eng.); byangelbos, groendoring, spelddoring, naaldebos, naaibos, stinkbos (Afr.); igcegceleya, i

Family: Salvadoraceae

Azima tetracantha is an ornamental, scrambling shrub, with interesting tetragonal branches and large spines....

26 / 09 / 2022 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Baleria repens

Common names: small bush violet (Eng.); kleinbosviooltjie (Afr.), inzinziniba (Zulu)

Family: Acanthaceae

The small bush violet produces masses of pretty tubular flowers and will happily scramble up into surrounding vegetation if conditions are good....

28 / 04 / 2003 | Pitta Joffe | Pretoria NBG

Barleria albostellata

Common names: grey barleria (Eng.); grysbarleria, fluweelblaarbosviooltjie (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

This medium to large shrub produces beautiful white tubular flowers in spring and summer. In addition, the velvety grey leaves create a wonderful colour...

29 / 01 / 2007 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Barleria ameliae

Common names: Amelia barleria

Family: Acanthaceae

If you are living in a subtropical area and looking for a fast growing, indigenous plant to solve your problem of planting open sunny areas in your garden,...

17 / 05 / 2010 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG