Plants of the Week

Helichrysum patulum

Common names: honey everlasting (Eng.); kooigoed (Afr.); impepho (isXhosa); phefo (Sesotho).

Family: Asteraceae

Helichrysum patulum has attractive, aromatic, grey foliage and strongly honey-scented summer flowers. It is easy to grow, water-wise, makes an excellent...

14 / 01 / 2019 | Zoleka May | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ledebouria rupestris

Common names: Mac-Mac African hyacinth

Family: Hyacinthaceae

An attractive dwarf Ledebouria forming dense clusters of many tiny bulbs which flower freely and make a handsome pot subject. This highly range restricted...

14 / 01 / 2019 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Cussonia sphaerocephala

Common names: forest cabbage-tree, Natal forest cabbage tree (Eng.); boskiepersol (Afr.); umsenge-wehlathi (isiXhosa & isiZulu); umsenge (siSwati)

Family: Araliaceae

A highly ornamental, fast-growing tree, with rounded heads atop tall, slender stems developing into magnificent specimens, but don’t plant it near...

21 / 01 / 2019 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ledebouria socialis

Common names: silver African hyacinth, silver squill

Family: Hyacinthaceae

This attractive, small bulbous plant, is by far the most popular of all the Ledebouria species, enjoyed by many collectors of rare and unusual plants,...

21 / 01 / 2019 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Dietes butcheriana

Common names: forest wild iris, forest iris, broad-leaved dietes (Eng.); bosiris (Afr.); isiyunga, iconya (isiXhosa)

Family: Iridaceae

Dietes butcheriana is an indigenous, shade-loving, evergreen irid with broad leaves arranged in a fan, and large, white flowers with apricot markings,...

28 / 01 / 2019 | Sanele Nkosi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ledebouria ovatifolia subsp. scabrida

Common names: Mdumbeni River Valley African Hyacinth

Family: Hyacinthaceae

An unusual flat-leaved Ledebouria which has leaves pressed flat on the ground and the upper surface of the leaves adorned with tongue-shaped papillae which...

28 / 01 / 2019 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Barleria oxyphylla

Common names: turf barleria

Family: Acanthaceae

Rare but interesting....

04 / 02 / 2019 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Lapeirousia anceps

Common names: sandveld cabong, cabung, chabi (Eng.); pienk koringblom (Afr.); cabong (Namaqua)

Family: Iridaceae

A small bulbous plant that is drought tolerant and thrives on low rainfall, transforming the veld with a spectacular display of masses of tubular, white...

04 / 02 / 2019 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG

Erica grandiflora subsp. grandiflora

Common names: golden heath (Eng.); goueheide (Afr.)

Family: Ericaceae

A sturdy fynbos shrub with outstanding bright orange flowers at the hottest, driest time of the year....

11 / 02 / 2019 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ipomoea oenotheroides

Common names: Christmas flower (Eng.); krismisblom (Afr.)

Family: Convolvulaceae

An eye-catching, drought-resistant shrublet with bright pink ‘morning glory’ flowers in summer and silvery stems sprouting from inedible tuberous...

11 / 02 / 2019 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG

Ceropegia crassifolia var. crassifolia

Common names: leathery-leaved ceropegia

Family: Apocynaceae

Members of the genus Ceropegia in the strict sense, are characterized by tubular flowers specially adapted for the temporary capture of insects for pollination...

18 / 02 / 2019 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Drosanthemum longipes

Common names: Biedouw drosanthemum (Eng.); biedouw-rankvygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

A remarkable, summer dormant, scrambling, leaf succulent, with magenta-pink flowers in winter, re-sprouting annually in autumn, producing many stems from...

18 / 02 / 2019 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Tulbaghia acutiloba

Common names: wild garlic (Eng.); wildeknoffel (Afr.); isihihi (Xho.); ishaladi lezinyoka (Zul.); motsuntsunyane, sefothafotha (sSo.)

Family: Alliaceae

A lovely, small and delicate bulbous perennial, with garlic-scented, edible leaves and sweetly fragrant flowers almost all year round....

25 / 02 / 2019 | Bathabile Ndlovu | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Ipomoea cairica var. cairica

Common names: coast morning glory, five-fingered morning glory, Cairo morning glory, Messina creeper, mile-a-minute, (Eng.); ihlambe, ijalamu, intana, umaholwana (i

Family: Convolvulaceae

The coast morning glory, with its big, purple, trumpet-shaped flowers with a dark eye in the centre, makes it close to impossible to pass it by, and it...

25 / 02 / 2019 | Sibahle Gumede | Kwelera NBG

Salvia africana-lutea

Common names: golden sage, beach sage, dune sage, sand sage (Eng.); bruinsalie, sandsalie, strandsalie, geelblomsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Salvia africana-lutea is now called Salvia aurea...

27 / 02 / 2019 | | Kwelera NBG

Salvia africana-caerulea

Common names: blue sage, wild sage, African sage, purple sage (Eng.); blousalie, bloublomsalie, Afrikaansesalie, perdesalie, wildesalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Salvia africana-caerulea is now called Salvia africana....

27 / 02 / 2019 | | Kwelera NBG

Mimetes splendidus

Common names: splendid pagoda (Eng.); pragstompie (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

A gorgeous, shimmering, silver-foliaged shrub, that vibrates with luminescent light on its salmon-pink flowerheads, during the winter season....

04 / 03 / 2019 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG

Euphorbia flanaganii

Common names: Transkei medusa’s head, Flanagan’s euphorbia (Eng.); vingerpol (Afr.); nhlehle, isihlehle (Zul.)

Family: Euphorbiaceae

...

04 / 03 / 2019 | Ntuthuko Mabuya | Pretoria NBG

Encephalartos cerinus

Common names: waxen cycad

Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos cerinus is a small cycad with a subterranean stem that may be partly exposed when growing among rocks. Leaves and cones are covered by a...

11 / 03 / 2019 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG

Phymaspermum appressum

Common names: none

Family: Asteraceae

Phymaspermum appressum is a drought resistant, Cape daisy shrub with striking white, fading to pink and finally purple, flowers....

11 / 03 / 2019 | Anthony R. Magee | Compton Herbarium

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