Plants of the Week

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E.g., 23/12/2024
E.g., 23/12/2024

Harpochloa falx

Harpochloa falx - caterpillar grass
Common names: caterpillar grass (Eng.), ruspergras (Afr.)
Family: Poaceae

The caterpillar grass, Harpochloa falx, is a wonderful garden plant, which forms neat, dark green tussocks which persist throughout the year and produce...

17 / 02 / 2003 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Harpephyllum caffrum

Fruits of H caffrum: Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: wild plum (Eng.); wildepruim, suurbessie, gwenjabessie (Afr.); umgwenya (Zulu, Xhosa); mothekele (Northern Sotho)
Family: Anacardiaceae

This is an attractive evergreen tree that is useful as an ornamental garden tree and for attracting birds and butterflies into the garden.It is popularly...

18 / 10 / 2004 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Harpagophytum procumbens

Flowers and fruits of Harpagophytum procumbens
Common names: devil's claw, harpago, grapple plant, wool- and woodspider (Eng.); duivelsklou, bobbejaandubbeltjie, kloudoring, veldspinnakop (Afr.); teufelskralle,
Family: Pedaliaceae

Tread with care where Harpagophytum procumbens, or devil's claw, is lurking. It has nasty, spiny fruits but it is one of the chief medicinal plants...

01 / 04 / 2006 | S Smithies | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Haplocladium angustifolium

Haplocladium angustifolium
Common names: Narrow-leaved small-feathered moss
Family: Leskeaceae

The mosses are a group of non-flowering plants belonging to the Bryophyta division of the main plant kingdom. They are fairly small with most of their...

05 / 07 / 2010 | N Phepo | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Haplocarpha scaposa

Haplocarpha scaposa
Common names: false gerbera (Eng.); melktou (Afr.); khutsana (Southern Sotho); isikhali (Xhosa)
Family: Asteraceae

...

10 / 09 / 2007 | E Lithudzha | Pretoria NBG
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Halleria lucida

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
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Halleria elliptica

Halleria elliptica (Tony Rebelo, iSpot)
Common names: rock tree-fuchsia, bush honeysuckle, wild fuschia (Eng.); kinderbessie, bergnotsung, klipnotsung (Afr.)
Family: Stilbaceae

Pretty, orange, fuchsia-like flowers, burgeoning with nectar and irresistible to insects and birds, on a neat, shade-loving, versatile shrub or small tree,...

04 / 07 / 2016 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Haemanthus sanguineus

Haemanthus sanguineus
Common names: smooth bloodlily, April fool (Eng.); veldskoenblaar, brandlelie (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

The blood-red flowers of Haemanthus sanguineus stand out in the late summer flowering season, and its magnificent leaves are quite spectacular to see during...

06 / 09 / 2021 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG
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Haemanthus humilis subsp. hirsutus

Haemanthus humilis subsp. hirsutus
Common names: Rabbit’s ears (Eng.); bobbejaanoor, velskoenblaar (Afr.); tsebe ea phofu, sekitla (Sesotho)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

One of the best available bulbous plants to grow in those rocky, shady spots, the rabbit’s ears knows how to put on a show. Whether it is in fruit,...

07 / 12 / 2020 | Ndiyafhi Muthuhadini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Haemanthus deformis

Haemanthus deformis
Common names: none
Family: Amaryllidaceae

A dense cluster of white flowers borne atop a short hairy stem and large, fleshy grey leaves make Haemanthus deformis one of South Africa 's most...

07 / 05 / 2007 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Haemanthus crispus

Flower
Common names: crispy-leaved paintbrush lily
Family: Amaryllidaceae

A splash of brilliant red in autumn comes from this beautiful Cape bulb....

27 / 05 / 2013 | Anthony R. Magee | Compton Herbarium
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Haemanthus coccineus

Flowering in late summer
Common names: March flower, April fool, blood flower, paintbrush lily, powderpuff lily, king-of-Candia, pincushion (Eng.); bergajuin, bloedblom, rooikwas, bobbejaan
Family: Amaryllidaceae

One of the surprises of late summer, with flowerheads like bright shaving brushes popping up from underground bulbs, is Haemanthus coccineus, which has...

17 / 11 / 2003 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
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Haemanthus canaliculatus

Haemanthus canaliculatus
Common names: channel-leaved haemanthus
Family: Amaryllidaceae

In late summer or early autumn, after fires have swept through some of the swampy areas near the sea in the Hangklip area, you may be lucky enough to see...

28 / 11 / 2011 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
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Haemanthus albiflos

Haemanthus albiflos in conservatory at Kirstenbosch
Common names: white paint brush (Eng.); witpoeierkwas (Afr.); umathunga (Xho.); uzaneke (Zul)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Haemanthus albiflos is the best known of the three evergreen species of Haemanthus and with its handsome leaves, long flowering season and red berries...

10 / 06 / 2002 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Haemanthus

Haemanthus pubescens on the West Coast, South Africa (Colin Paterson-Jones)
Common names: paintbrush, powderpuff (Eng.); poeierkwas, velskoenblaar (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Haemanthus may be perceived as brilliant, brazen blood lilies or demure, soft, powderpuffs-in either guise they can surprise and delight you....

15 / 08 / 2005 | D Snijman | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gyrocarpus americanus subsp. africanus

Gyrocarpus americanus subsp. africanus
Common names: propeller tree, helicopter tree (Eng.); helikopterboom (Afr.); mutama, mudzoudzhou (Tshivenda).
Family: Hernandiaceae

An interesting tree with a smooth, grey to silvery white trunk, and ovoid fruit crowned with 2 wings, which look remarkably like the slender wings of a...

20 / 08 / 2018 | Matome Leboho | Pretoria NBG
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Gymnosporia senegalensis

Gymnosporia senegalensis
Common names: red spikethorn, confetti spikethorn (Eng.); bloupendoring, rooipendoring (Afr.); sephatho, mophatho (Sepedi); sihlangu lesimhlophe (siSwati); ubuhlang
Family: Celastraceae

A bright, white-flowered, sweet-scented indigenous shrub, often with wine-red branches. Its roots and leaves are used in traditional medicine to treat...

25 / 01 / 2021 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Gymnosporia harveyana

Fruit and leaves
Common names: black forest spikethorn (Eng.); swartbospendoring (Afr.)
Family: Celastraceae

This is an evergreen, dense, spiny shrub or small tree, with lovely shiny foliage and small white-and-red fruits. It is suitable for small gardens as a...

14 / 06 / 2004 | M Jordan | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Gymnosporia buxifolia

Gymnosporia buxifolia
Common names: spikethorn, common spikethorn, stinking spike-thorn (Eng.); gewone pendoring, pendoring, stinkdoring, lemoendoring (Afr.); ingqwangane, ubangalala, us
Family: Celastraceae

Gymnosporia buxifolia is a very showy plant when in flower and can grow into an interesting and shapely small tree over time. It can be pruned to form...

30 / 11 / 2015 | Sameer Khan | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Gymnanthemum myrianthum

Gymnanthemum myrianthum flower head
Common names: blue bitter-tea, eared bitter-tea, blue vernonia, eared vernonia, poison tree-vernonia, wild lilac (Eng.); bloubittertee, bosbloutee (Afr.); uhluhlung
Family: Asteraceae

An unusual, striking, robust shrub or small tree that is suddenly beautiful when in flower in late autumn, with eye-catching clumps of mauve to white to...

05 / 12 / 2016 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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