Plants of the Week

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E.g., 21/12/2024
E.g., 21/12/2024

Aloe speciosa

Aloe speciosa flower heads
Common names: tilt-head aloe (Eng.); spaansaalwyn, slaphoringaalwyn (Afr.); ikhala (Xhosa)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe speciosa is a handsome plant having decorative blue-green leaves with deep pink to pale red, serrated leaf margins, and dense cylindrical flower...

06 / 08 / 2007 | Lusindiso Xulubana | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucospermum reflexum

Common names: var. reflexum : rocket pincushion, sky-rocket pincushion (Eng. ); perdekop (Afr.). var. luteum : yellow rocket pincushion (Eng.); geel perdekop (Afr
Family: Proteaceae

A fireworks display in your garden during the day time is quite possible if you plant the magnificent rocket pincushions! These lovely, tall, upright pincushion...

30 / 07 / 2007 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
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Coleonema calycinum

Bush in flower
Common names: confetti bush, broom buchu (Eng.); boegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

...

30 / 07 / 2007 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Phygelius aequalis

Phygelius aequalis
Common names: river bell, wild fuchsia (Eng.); foksia, rivierklokkie (Afr.); metsi-matso (Southern Sotho)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

A beautiful, lush, fast-growing, evergreen perennial, with spikes of showy trumpet-shaped, red or yellow flowers and a long blooming season....

23 / 07 / 2007 | Karen Wall | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cyrtanthus herrei

Cyrthanthus herrei
Common names: Richtersveld cyrtanthus
Family: Amaryllidaceae

This striking bulb comes from arid parts of southern Africa....

23 / 07 / 2007 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Pelargonium magenteum

Pelargonium magenteum in habitat
Common names: magenta-flowered pelargonium
Family: Geraniaceae

With its stunning dispay of usually magenta/pink flowers in spring, Pelargonium magenteum is ideal for the water-wise garden....

16 / 07 / 2007 | Roger Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Leucadendron xanthoconus

Cones
Common names: sickle-leaf conebush ( Eng. ); blinkblaartolbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

A versatile fynbos shrub, with a silvery shine to its foliage, Leucadendron xanthoconus deserves a second glance....

16 / 07 / 2007 | Monique Twine | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cephalophyllum alstonii

Cephallophyllum alsotonii
Common names: rankvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Cephallophyllum alstonii is a creeping perennial succulent, ideal as a ground cover, or as a pot plant on a patio. The spectacular, brightly coloured...

09 / 07 / 2007 | Shireen Harris | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Bersama lucens

Fruits of Bersama lucens. Photograph G Nichols
Common names: glossy white ash (Eng.); blinkblaarwitessenhout (Afr.); isindiyandiya (Xhosa); undiyaza (Zulu)
Family: Melianthaceae

Bersama lucens is not a common garden plant, rather a specialist specimen that still needs to be promoted in the garden fraternity....

09 / 07 / 2007 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Clivia robusta

Clivia robusta
Common names: swamp bush lily, swamp clivia
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Clivia robusta is probably one of the tallest members of the genus as it can grow to a height of 1.6 m in ideal conditions. It is a strong grower and...

02 / 07 / 2007 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe greatheadii var. davyana

Aloe greatheadii var. davyana
Common names: spotted aloe (Eng.); Transvaalaalwyn, grasaalwyn (Afr.); kgopane (Tswana)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe greatheadii var. davyana is a drab and uninteresting plant, but when it flowers in winter, it is spectacular. It is a plant that will...

02 / 07 / 2007 | Jean Meyer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Aspalathus linearis

Bush in flower
Common names: rooibos tea (Eng.), rooibostee, bossietee (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

Aspalathus linearis, the source of rooibos tea, is a shrub found in the western mountainous parts of the Western Cape. Rooibos tea is a most popular drink...

25 / 06 / 2007 | Marcini Govender | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Aloe melanacantha

Aloe melanacantha
Common names: black-thorn aloe, small mountain aloe (Eng.); swartdoringaalywn kleinbergaalwyn, goree (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

The true beauty of Aloe melanacantha can only be appreciated when seen flowering in the veld. Its formidable black thorns add an exquisite dimension when...

25 / 06 / 2007 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea nitida

Protea nitida in cultivation
Common names: wagon tree ( English); waboom, blousuikerbos, bobbejaansuikerbos, brandhout. (Afrikaans)
Family: Proteaceae

With its long history and good looks, Protea nitida is a gem in the fynbos world. It is the only species of Protea to form large trees yielding...

18 / 06 / 2007 | Monique Twine | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Adenium

Adeium multiflorum
Common names: A. boehmianum : pylgif (Afr.); ouzuwo (Herero). A. multiflorum : impala lily, Sabi star, kudu lily ( Eng. ); impalalelie (Afr.). A. obesum : desert ro
Family: Apocynaceae

Adeniums, which all have poisonous sap, produce flowers in striking reds, pinks and mauves; red-and-white bicoloured flowers are fairly common. They are...

18 / 06 / 2007 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | Pretoria NBG
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Grewia lasiocarpa

Grewia lasiocarpa
Common names: forest raisin (Eng.); bosrosyntjie (Afr.); umhlolo (Xhosa); ilalanyathi (Zulu)
Family: Malvaceae

Grewia lasiocarpa is a wonderful fast-growing small tree, ideal for use as a screen, with lovely large, star-shaped pink flowers and fruit that is...

11 / 06 / 2007 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Carpobrotus dimidiatus

In flower
Common names: Natal sour fig (Eng.), Natalse suurvy/strandvy (Afr.), Ikhambi lamabulawo (Zulu)
Family: Aizoaceae

...

11 / 06 / 2007 | Siyabulela Nonjinge | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Rhodohypoxis baurii

Rhodohypoxis baurii
Common names: red star (Eng.); rooisterretjie (Afr.)
Family: Hypoxidaceae

Rhodohypoxis baurii is a diminutive, enchanting plant, forming colourful carpets of white, pink and red in rocky places in the Drakensberg area. It...

04 / 06 / 2007 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Pachypodium namaquanum

Pachypodium namaquanum
Common names: elephant's trunk (Eng.); halfmens (Afr.)
Family: Apocynaceae

Pachypodium namaquanum must rate as the most sought-after and popular of all large succulents from the arid Northern Cape and southern Namibia,...

04 / 06 / 2007 | Olivia Pekeur | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria tukhelensis

Close up of flowers,flowering at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Tugela ox-tongue (Eng.), Tugela-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria tukhelensis is one of the more or less 20 species so far known of the popular, aloe-like genus Gasteria which is endemic to southern...

28 / 05 / 2007 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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