Plants of the Week

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E.g., 30/12/2024
E.g., 30/12/2024

Erica fastigiata

Flowers
Common names: four-sisters heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica fastigiata belongs to the largest genus in the Cape Floral Kingdom....

05 / 12 / 2005 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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Bonatea speciosa

Bonatea speciosa
Common names: green wood orchid (Eng.); moederkappie, Oktoberlelie (Afr.)
Family: Orchidaceae

Bonatea speciosa, a terrestrial orchid, is admired for its delicate, somewhat bizarre, green and white flowers. It is also comparatively easy to grow...

05 / 12 / 2005 | H Kurzweil | Compton Herbarium
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Arctotis stoechadifolia

Flowers
Common names: coast arctotis, silver arctotis, trailing arctotis (Eng.); kusgousblom, bittergousblom, witgousblom (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A tough and fast-growing groundcover often seen in gardens around the world, Arctotis stoechadifolia surprisingly only occurs naturally along a small strip...

05 / 12 / 2005 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium capitatum

Flowers
Common names: rose-scented pelargonium, coast pelargonium ( Eng. ); kusmalva (Afr.)
Family: Geraniaceae

This pelargonium is cultivated for its rose scented oil....

28 / 11 / 2005 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gomphocarpus fruticosus

Fruit and leaves
Common names: milkweed, wild cotton (Eng.); gansie, melkbos (Afr.); Lebegane (Sotho); Umsinga-lwesalukazi (Zulu)
Family: Apocynaceae

Gomphocarpus fruticosus is a herbaceous, perennial, spindly shrub, often with watery or milky sap. It has ovoid fruits (follicles) of a clear, pale green...

28 / 11 / 2005 | Alec Naidoo | Pretoria NBG
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Ficus ingens

Fruiting branch
Common names: red-leaved rock fig (Eng.); rooiblaarvy (Afr.); mohlatsa (North Sotho); motlhatsa (Tswana); tshikululu (Venda); umthombe (Xhosa); umgonswane (Zulu)
Family: Moraceae

The red-leaved fig is a semi-deciduous, shady tree or rock-splitter, and a beautiful specimen for a large rock garden, but because of its aggressive root-...

28 / 11 / 2005 | Marie Jordaan | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Panicum maximum

Panicum maximum
Common names: Guinea grass (Eng. ); blousaad soetgras (Afr.)
Family: Poaceae

This tufted grass species is highly palatable and attracts many seed-eating birds to the garden. It is regarded as the most valuable fodder plant and is...

21 / 11 / 2005 | Linette Ferreira | Pretoria NBG
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Ornithogalum candicans

Flowers
Common names: berg lily, summer hyacinth, Cape hyacinth (Eng.); berglelie, Kaapse hiasint (Afr.); isidwa esimhlope (Zulu)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

The summer hyacinth, with its fragrant bell-shaped flowers, is an ideal accent plant in a mixed bed and is also very suitable for cut flowers. It was previously...

21 / 11 / 2005 | Ronell R. Klopper | Pretoria NBG
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Diosma hirsuta 'Blue Downs'

Diosma hirsuta 'Blue Downs'
Common names: wild buchu (Eng.); rooiboegoe, wildeboegoe, Hottentotsboegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

Diosma hirusta ' Blue Downs' belongs to the Rutaceae family commonly referred to as the citrus family and is easily identified by the presence...

21 / 11 / 2005 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ruschia

Ruschia karooica
Common names: beesvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Plants in the Ruschia genus are among the most striking, versatile and diverse of all succulents in the Mesembryanthemum group of the Aizoaceae...

14 / 11 / 2005 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Rothmannia globosa

Rothmannia globosa
Common names: September bells, bell gardenia (Eng.); klokkies-valskatjiepiering (Afr.); umGubhe (Xhosa); umPhazane (Zulu); Thudwane (Venda); siKoba (Swati)
Family: Rubiaceae

Rothmannia globosa is a decorative small garden tree with fragrant white bell-shaped flowers in early summer....

14 / 11 / 2005 | J K Baloyi | Pretoria NBG
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Helichrysum foetidum

Helichrysum foetidum inflorescence
Common names: stinking strawflower, stinking yellow everlasting (Eng.); muishondblaar, geelsewejaartjie, vleisewejaartjie (Afr.); isicwe (Zulu)
Family: Asteraceae

The glossy, deep yellow flowerheads of Helichrysum foetidum catch the eye. This hardy, water-wise plant could enhance many gardens....

14 / 11 / 2005 | S Nonkululeko | Pretoria NBG
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Muraltia scoparia

Muraltia scoparia
Common names: tortoise berry, dune berry (Eng.); skilpadbessie, duinebessie (Afr.)
Family: Polygalaceae

Identifying the species Muraltia spinosa and M. scoparia (formerly in the genus Nylandtia) using herbarium material only, can be misleading, as the habit...

07 / 11 / 2005 | Christien Bredenkamp | Pretoria NBG
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Nylandtia scoparia

Nylandtia scoparia is now called Muraltia scoparia...

07 / 11 / 2005 | | Pretoria NBG
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Ekebergia pterophylla

Flowers and berry
Common names: rock ash (Eng.); rotsessenhout (Afr.); maGwedla (Swahili)
Family: Meliaceae

This is a tidy, attractive, evergreen shrub/tree, with sweetly scented flowers, bearing berries....

07 / 11 / 2005 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Anemone fannini

Plant in flower
Common names: giant wild anemone (Eng.); syblom, groot anemoon (Afr.); umanzamnyama (Zulu)
Family: Ranunculaceae

This stately anemone with beautiful white flowers and large, velvety palmate leaves from the eastern grasslands of South Africa would be an asset to any...

07 / 11 / 2005 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Syncolostemon rotundifolius

Flower spike
Common names: rounded-leaf sagebush, round-leaved pink plume
Family: Lamiaceae

Even if a little difficult in cultivation, this little known member of the sage family, once established, will enhance the garden with its masses of pretty...

31 / 10 / 2005 | Karen Moodley | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Helichrysum appendiculatum

Inflorescence
Common names: sheep's ears everlasting (Eng.); skaapoorbossie (Afr.); senkotoana (South Sotho); ibode, indlebeyemvu (Zulu)
Family: Asteraceae

Strong pink and cream flowerheads and woolly leaves make Helichrysum appendiculatum a striking plant that would enhance any garden. Not yet in...

31 / 10 / 2005 | Julia Mnengwane | Pretoria NBG
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Dierama pendulum

Dierama pendulum
Common names: fairy bell, hair-bell, wedding bell (Eng.)
Family: Iridaceae

Admired for its graceful, wand-like stems, eye-catching pink flowers and erect, long, linear leaves, this easily cultivated plant is one of the most rewarding...

31 / 10 / 2005 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Tridactyle bicaudata

Tridactyle bicaudata
Family: Orchidaceae

Anyone who has had the pleasure of walking in the dry forests which occur along the eastern coast of Africa, will have noticed the sometimes large clumps...

24 / 10 / 2005 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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