Plants of the Week

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E.g., 26/03/2025
E.g., 26/03/2025

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Pelargonium exhibens

Pelargonium exhibens
Common names: exhibiting pelargonium (Eng.)
Family: Geraniaceae

With the Albany Thicket Biome and parts of the Nama Karoo being its only home, the exhibiting pelargonium lives up to its name in succulent scrub, showcasing...

31 / 03 / 2025 | Ntsakisi Masia | Kwelera NBG
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Clematis villosa subsp. stanleyi

Clematis villosa subsp. stanleyi habit and flowers
Common names: feather duster, shock-headed peter (Eng.); pluimbossie, veerbossie (Afr.); bogopa (?) (Sotho); nyenu, ndengu (Wemba: Zambia).
Family: Ranunculaceae

Clematis villosa subsp. stanleyi, previously known as Clematopsis scabiosifolia among other names, is a striking subshrub that typically grows to about...

31 / 03 / 2025 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Erythrina abyssinica

Erythrina abyssinica in flower in Kirstenbosch NBG
Common names: red-hot-poker tree, lucky bean tree, Abyssinian coral tree, flame tree (Eng.), vuurpylkoraalboom (Afr.), umkhamba, umsinsi (isiZulu), umgqogqogqo (isi
Family: Fabaceae

Erythrina abyssinica is a striking spectacle of nature with rugged, spiny branches, vibrant foliage and vivid red-orange blooms that attract pollinators...

24 / 03 / 2025 | Thamsanqa Msweli | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Tephrosia zoutpansbergensis

Tephrosia zoutpansbergensis
Common names: Soutpansberg poison pea (Eng.); Soutpansberg-gifertjie (Afr.); murumbulashedo (Tshivenda)
Family: Fabaceae

Tephrosia zoutpansbergensis is a bushy shrub that belongs in the Fabaceae (legume family), with yellowish orange flowers in spring and summer followed...

24 / 03 / 2025 | Mpho Mathalauga | Pretoria NBG
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Erythrina caffra

Family: Fabaceae

See Erythrina afra...

21 / 03 / 2025 | | Pretoria NBG
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Helichrysum ruderale

Helichrysum ruderale
Common names: weedy yellow everlasting (Eng.); geelsewejaaartjie (Afr.); umadotsheni (isiZulu)
Family: Asteraceae

Helichrysum ruderale is a herbaceous flowering plant that completes its life cycle in two growing seasons. It brings life into sunny or semi-shade flowerbeds...

17 / 03 / 2025 | Itumeleng Machete | Pretoria NBG
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Arctotis debensis

Arctotis debensis in flower in habitat
Common names: kommetjie grassland butterflower, Debe Nek arctotis (Eng.), kommetjievlaktes-botterblom (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Arctotis debensis is a flat-growing, spreading perennial with rosettes of bright green leaves and yellow daisy-flowers in spring. It is only found growing...

17 / 03 / 2025 | Mahlatse Michelle Malemone | Karoo Desert NBG
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Drimia sanguinea

Drimia sanguinea bulb
Common names: red squill (Eng.), rooislangkop, gifbol (Afr.), sekanama, skanama (Sepedi), umahlogolozi (isiZulu).
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Although this is a beautiful bulbous plant with great horticultural potential for gardens and containers it is not recommended for gardening because it...

10 / 03 / 2025 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Englerodaphne ovalifolia

Englerodaphne ovalifolia showing scars left on the rachis after the flowers fall
Common names: broad-leaved fibre-bush (Eng.); breëblaarveselbos (Afr.); uhlosa (isiZulu)
Family: Thymelaeaceae

...

10 / 03 / 2025 | Thuli Dlamini | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Aloe bowiea

Aloe bowiea in the Karoo NBG nursery
Common names: Coega dwarf aloe, Bowie’s aloe (Eng.); kleinaalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe bowiea is very distinctive and uncommon amongst the species of Aloe, with very small, grass-like leaves and inconspicuous flowers. Its habitat is...

03 / 03 / 2025 | Mahlatse Michelle Malemone | Karoo Desert NBG
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Erica galpinii

Erica galpinii
Common names: Galpin’s heath (Eng.)
Family: Ericaceae

In the sandstone fynbos of the Kleinrivier Mountains in the Overberg region in the Western Cape lies a rare, long-lived, slow growing reseeder known as...

03 / 03 / 2025 | Caroline Marima | Harold Porter NBG
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Jamesbrittenia tysonii

Jamesbrittenia tysonii
Common names: Karoo jaybee, wild phlox (Eng.) witbergheuningkaroo, witsafraanbos (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Jamesbrittenia tysonii is an appealing and resilient perennial with pretty, delicate white flowers in spring and summer. This plant requires little maintenance...

24 / 02 / 2025 | Lerato Mokoena | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Delosperma gautengense

Delosperma gautengense
Common names: Gauteng delosperma, gold reef sheepfig (Eng.)
Family: Aizoaceae

The Gauteng delosperma is a succulent plant native to rocky outcrops of the Magaliesberg in South Africa, it dazzles with its radiant, white, daisy-like...

24 / 02 / 2025 | Rofhiwa Ingrid Mudau | Pretoria NBG
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Crassula sladenii

Crassula sladenii growing on a dolomite cliff on the Hunsberg
Common names: Hunsberg cliff-crassula (Eng.), Hunsberg-sosatie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula sladenii is a rare, sparingly branched, scrambling succulent shrublet, becoming a cliff-hanger with stems up to 400 mm long. The leaves are greyish-green,...

17 / 02 / 2025 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ficus bubu

Ficus bubu
Common names: bubu fig, sulphur-barked fig, Swazi fig (Eng.); bubuvy, Swazi-vy (Afr.); intfombi (Siswati)
Family: Moraceae

Ficus bubu is a stunning tree that captivates with its lovely yellow-green bark, glossy dark green foliage, thorny branches, strong construction and interesting...

17 / 02 / 2025 | Anelisa Nomaqhiza | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Vigna unguiculata

Vigna unguiculata
Common names: cowpea, black- eyed pea, southern pea (Eng.); akkerbone, boontjie, koertjie (Afr.); isikhwali, indumba, isihlumaya, umcwasibe (isiZulu); dinawa (Sotho
Family: Fabaceae

Urbanization has led to the decline of traditional plant-based diets, impacting health. Vigna unguiculata, rich in protein, helps fill this gap with its...

10 / 02 / 2025 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Serruria hirsuta

Serruria hirsuta
Common names: Swartkops spiderhead, hairy spiderhead (Eng.) Swartkop-spinnekopbossie (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

A splendid specimen that shapes itself into a rounded form, showcasing its beautiful flower heads and pink flowers, which attract bees and other insects,...

10 / 02 / 2025 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Hibiscus waterbergensis

Hibiscus waterbergensis
Common names: Waterberg hibiscus (Eng.); Waterberg hibiscus (Afr.).
Family: Malvaceae

As a neat, upright, little-branched shrub of about 1.5 m tall, with its greyish-green appearance and vibrant scarlet-red flowers in summer, Hibiscus waterbergensis...

03 / 02 / 2025 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Erica ampullacea

Erica ampullacea
Common names: flask heath, bottle heath, heath sissie (Eng.); sissieheide, flessieheide, bottelheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

...

03 / 02 / 2025 | Samkelisiwe Mathonsi | Compton Herbarium
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Acmadenia tetragona

Acmadenia tetragona
Common names: pagoda flower, Outeniqua porcelain flower (Eng.)
Family: Rutaceae

A hardy aromatic shrub that captures attention in spring, with its delicate, light pink flowers with pink nectar guides clearly visible in the centre of...

27 / 01 / 2025 | Phophi Ceri Thovhakale | Kirstenbosch NBG
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