Plants of the Week

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E.g., 04/12/2024

Pelargonium sidoides

Pot of P. sidoides in foreground
Common names: black pelargonium (Eng.) kalwerbossie, rabassam (Afr.), ikubalo, iyeza lesikhali (Xhosa), khoara-e-nyenyane (Southern Sotho), umckaloabo (German remed
Family: Geraniaceae

A tufted pelargonium with velvety silver leaves and almost black flowers that is a well known medicinal plant in South Africa....

28 / 05 / 2001 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium suburbanum subsp. suburbanum

Pelargonium suburbanum subsp. suburbanum
Common names: dune pelargonium (Eng.) wildemalva
Family: Geraniaceae

A groundcover with showy magenta flowers in spring and early summer, ideal for sandy banks, rockeries and hanging baskets. Many species and hybrids of Pelargonium are...

17 / 09 / 2001 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium ternatum

Pelargonium ternatum flowers & foliage
Family: Geraniaceae

 this is a beautiful hardy pelargonium that  is suited to a miniature rockery....

16 / 05 / 2011 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium tetragonum

Pelargonium tetragonum
Common names: square-stemmed pelargonium
Family: Geraniaceae

With its square, jointed, succulent stems, this fascinating pelargonium could easily mislead the casual observer into mistaking it for a member of the...

18 / 10 / 2004 | T Hutton-squire | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium tomentosum

Pelargonium tomentosum
Common names: peppermint pelargonium, peppermint-scented pelargonium, pennyroyal pelargonium, piperitum (Eng.); pepermentmalva (Afr.)
Family: Geraniaceae

With its large, velvety, mint-scented foliage and dainty white flowers, Pelargonium tomentosum makes a rather attractive garden plant in semi-shade, and...

23 / 09 / 2002 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium tongaense

Pelargonium tongaense
Common names: Tonga pelargonium (Eng.)
Family: Geraniaceae

Most adaptable in cultivation, the Tonga pelargonium, is a free flowering garden and container plant....

17 / 05 / 2004 | T Mukoma | Lowveld NBG
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Pelargonium transvaalense

Pelargonium transvaalense
Common names: Transvaal perlagonium (Eng)
Family: Geraniaceae

This plant has grown in the Lowveld National Botanical Garden happily for many years in both sunny and shady positions....

09 / 05 / 2005 | T Mukoma | Lowveld NBG
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Pelargonium triste

Pelargonium triste flowers
Common names: night-scented pelargonium ( Eng. ); kaneeltjie, rooiwortel (Afr.); wit n/eitjie (Khoi)
Family: Geraniaceae

This night-scented pelargonium, with its attractive carrot-like leaves, makes an interesting addition to collections of Cape plants....

27 / 02 / 2006 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium vitifolium

Pelargonium vitifolium shrub
Common names: vine-leaved pelargonium, balm-scented pelargonium
Family: Geraniaceae

This lovely vine leaved shrub that is stunning in full flower, with its balm scent, is ideal for your fragrant garden....

01 / 11 / 2010 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium zonale

Pelargonium zonale
Common names: horse-shoe pelargonium (Eng.); wildemalva (Afr.)
Family: Geraniaceae

The flowers of this strikingly beautiful species range from pure white to rose-pink and all shades of red. Combined with its decorative rounded foliage,...

09 / 12 / 2002 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pellaea calomelanos

Pellaea calomelanos
Common names: hard fern (Eng.); inkomankomo (isiZulu); lehorometso (Sotho); legogoana (Tswana)
Family: Pteridaceae

...

04 / 06 / 2012 | Mandisa Kondlo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Pentanisia prunelloides

Pentanisia prunelloides
Common names: wild verbena, broad-leaved Pentanisia (Eng.); sooibrandbossie (Afr.); icimamlilo (Zulu)

This beautiful blue grassland flower, which attracts butterflies, shows great potential as a garden plant. Widespread in southern Africa, and used extensively...

06 / 01 / 2003 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Pentarrhinum insipidum

Pentarrhinum insipidum
Common names: African heartvine (Eng.), donkieperske, hondepisbossie, opklim, wildekomkommer (Afr.), aulana, furana (Ndebele), umulugwe (Ndebele), leswa (Sotho)
Family: Apocynaceae

The leaves, stems and fruit of Pentarrhinum insipidum are widely eaten throughout Africa. It is an important wild vegetable and has the potential to be...

27 / 10 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | Pretoria NBG
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Petalidium bracteatum

Petalidium bracteatum in conservatory at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Ruacana petalidium (Eng.); Ruacana rooibekkiebos (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

The Ruacana petalidium is a fast and easily growing shrub with striking dark red tubular flowers which attract sunbirds. As its name implies, it originates...

08 / 03 / 2004 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Petalidium coccineum

Petalidium coccineum in conseravtory at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Kaoko petalidium (Eng.); rooi-tongklapper, Kaoko rooibekkiebos (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

The Kaoko petalidium is a fast-growing, branched shrub with smooth, white bark which contrasts with its striking, red, curved flowers and ornamental, mottled...

05 / 01 / 2004 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Phaenocoma prolifera

Phaenocoma prolifera
Common names: pink everlasting, pink strawflower, Cape everlasting (Eng.); rooisewejaartjie, strooiblommetjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

I often think of this species as the dinosaur of the everlastings. It is a strong rigid shrub with brilliant pink bracts and large flower heads. It is...

06 / 09 / 2004 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Philenoptera violacea

Philenoptera violacea tree
Common names: apple-leaf (Eng.); appelblaar (Afr.); umBhandu, umPhanda, isiHomohomo (isiZulu)
Family: Fabaceae

The wood of this attractive, hard, frost-sensitive "rain-tree" makes a stunning ornamental display....

14 / 12 / 2009 | Sifiso Mnxati | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Phoenix reclinata

Phoenix reclinata :Photo:G Nichols
Common names: wild date palm (Eng.); wilde-dadelboom (Afr.); mopalamo (Northern Sotho); moséfa (Tswana); isundu (Xhosa, Zulu)
Family: Arecaceae

This graceful palm with its characteristic slender, leaning stems is a feature of riverine bush and forest in the eastern parts of the country. It is almost...

11 / 10 / 2004 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu 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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Phylica buxifolia

Phylica buxifolia
Common names: box-leaf phylica, box hard-leaf (Eng.); bukshardeblaar (Afr.)
Family: Rhamnaceae

This compact rounded shrub or small tree makes a good background or screening plant and should find a place in indigenous gardens near the coast, especially...

16 / 12 / 2002 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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