Plants of the Week

Pittosporum viridiflorum

Common names: Cheesewood, White Cape Beech (E), Kasuur, Witboekenhout (A), umVusamvu, Umkhwenkwe, Umphushamvu, Umphushane (Z), Kgalagangwe (NS), Mosetlela (SS), Mpu

Family: Pittosporaceae

This evergreen tree was selected to be one of the Trees of the Year for 2002....

28 / 01 / 2002 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Halleria lucida

Common names: tree fuchsia, white olive (Eng.), notsung, witolienhout, witolyfhout (Afr.), umbinza (isiXhosa), indomela, umbinza (isiZulu), lebetsa (Sesotho), murev

Family: Stilbaceae

Not only is Halleria lucida an attractive tree and an asset to any garden, it is also one of the best bird attracting trees....

28 / 01 / 2002 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Eucomis autumnalis

Common names: pineapple flower, pineapple lily (E), wildepynappel, krulkoppie (A), ubuhlungu becanti, isithithibala esimathunzi (X), umathunga, ukhokho, umakhandaka

Family: Hyacinthaceae

Handsome, striking, unique, peculiar, these are the kind of words that are used to describe this unusual plant....

21 / 01 / 2002 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Dietes grandiflora

Common names: large wild iris, fairy iris (Eng.); groot wilde-iris (Afr); isiqungasehlati (Z)

Family: Iridaceae

This well known indigenous iris is commonly grown in gardens and used in large landscapes throughout the country....

21 / 01 / 2002 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG

Portulacaria afra

Common names: Porkbush, Elephant's Food (English); Spekboom. Olifantskos (Afrikaans); iNtelezi, isiDondwane, isAmbilane, iNdibili, isiCococo (isiZulu); iGqwanitsha

Family: Portulacaceae

Portulacaria afra or Porkbush is a popular succulent garden plant in use around the world and is often used for bonsai. It has now been shown to be effective...

14 / 01 / 2002 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Agapanthus coddii

Common names: Waterberg agapanthus, Codd's agapanthus (Eng.), Waterberg-bloulelie (Afr.)

Family: Agapanthaceae

Summer time is agapanthus season at Kirstenbosch, when the Garden is festooned with masses of these beautiful plants that come in many shapes and sizes...

14 / 01 / 2002 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Dimorphotheca jucunda 'White Moon'

Common names: White Moon Daisy (Eng.); Bergbietou, Bloubietou (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

This striking groundcover is a delightful perennial with masses of large white daisy flowers throughout summer....

07 / 01 / 2002 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Buddleja saligna

Common names: false olive (English); witolien (Afrikaans); umBatacwepe (Siswati); lelothwane (South Sotho); mothlware (Tswana); unGqeba (Xhosa); iGqeba-elimhlope (Z

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Buddleja saligna is a tree up to 10 m tall in warm moist areas but usually 4 to 5 metres in Highveld areas. ...

07 / 01 / 2002 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Vachellia karroo

Common names: sweet thorn (English); soetdoring (Afrikaans); mookana (North Sotho); mooka (Tswana); umuNga (Zulu) (Xhosa)

Family: Fabaceae

Known for many years as Acacia karroo, this is one of South Africa's most beautiful and useful trees. It is integrally part of our country's history...

01 / 01 / 2002 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Hebenstretia dura

Common names: Cat's tail, katstert (Afr.), slugwort, slakblom (Afr.)

Family: Scrophulariaceae

...

30 / 12 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Bauhinia bowkeri

Common names: Kei Bauhinia, Kei White Bauhinia (Eng.), Keibeesklou (Afr.), umDlandlovu (Xhosa)

Family: Fabaceae

A tall, graceful shrub with arching stems, decorative rounded foliage and fragrant white flowers in early summer, best in warm, dry gardens where frost...

24 / 12 / 2001 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe verecunda

Common names: rand grass aloe, witwatersrand grass aloe (Eng.); randgrasaalwyn (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe verecunda, with its striking orange-red flowers and grasslike leaves, is an attractive deciduous grassland aloe....

24 / 12 / 2001 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG

Orthosiphon labiatus

See Ocimum labiatum....

17 / 12 / 2001 | | Walter Sisulu 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

Calodendrum capense

Common names: Cape chestnut, wild chestnut (Eng.); wildekastaiing, Kaapsekastaiing (Afr.); umbaba, umsitshana (Xhosa); umbhaba, umemezi omhlophe (Zulu), molalakgwed

Family: Rutaceae

Calodendrum capense, a beautiful tree from the Cape, the name says it all: kalos means beautiful, and dendron is Greek for tree, capense is...

17 / 12 / 2001 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Wachendorfia thyrsiflora

Common names: marsh butterfly lily, bloodroot, redroot (Eng.); rooikanol (Afr.)

Family: Haemodoraceae

Wachendorfia thyrsiflora with its large golden flower spikes is very striking when in flower....

10 / 12 / 2001 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Plumbago auriculata

Common names: Cape leadwort, plumbago (English); blousyselbos (Afrikaans); umabophe (Xhosa/ Zulu); umasheleshele (Zulu)

Family: Plumbaginaceae

Plumbago is an extremely reliable, resilient plant which has been popular for home gardens as well as for commercial landscapes for many years. Plumbago...

10 / 12 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Gomphostigma virgatum

Common names: river star, otter bush, besembossie

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Gomphostigma virgatum is a beautiful, evergreen, perennial shrub that can grow up to 2,6m high....

03 / 12 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu 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

Geranium incanum

Common names: Carpet Geranium (English); Horlosies, Vrouetee, Bergtee, (Afrikaans); ngope-sethsoha, tlako (Sotho).

Family: Geraniaceae

The Carpet Geranium is an ideal garden plant. It spreads and forms a dense carpet approximately 300 mm thick and flowers almost all year round with a peak...

26 / 11 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

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