Plants of the Week

Ficus glumosa

Common names: hairy rock fig, mountain rock fig (Eng.); harige rotsvy, berg-rotsvy (Afr.); umthombe (Xhosa); inkokhokho, umdenda omnyama, umnyaxa (Zulu); inkiwane (

Family: Moraceae

An ideal tree for planting in water scarce areas; it will provide browsing and food to a number of animals, as well as a habitat for a large range of bird...

07 / 11 / 2016 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Fanninia caloglossa

Common names: Fannin’s beauty

Family: Apocynaceae

This monotypic genus (containing only one species) and despite its small stature, is very pretty. It was mentioned by the well-known botanist N.E. Brown,...

16 / 01 / 2017 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Ficus craterostoma

Common names: forest fig, forest strangler-fig, blunt-leaved forest fig, bastard Natal fig (Eng.); bosvy, wurgvy, stomblaarbosvy, bostouboom, basternatalvy (Afr.);

Family: Moraceae

A wild fig from the well-watered forests of southeastern and tropical Africa, with glossy, dark green foliage and a grey trunk that is sculpted and shaped...

11 / 09 / 2017 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus muelleriana

Common names: wandering rock-fig, Chimanimani rock-fig, Mueller’s climbing fig (Eng.); chimanimanirotsvy (Afr.)

Family: Moraceae

Ficus muelleriana represents a fairly recent discovery. It is a rare, cliff-dwelling, scandent shrub, with beautiful heart-shaped leaves, reddish leaf...

04 / 12 / 2017 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus cordata

Common names: Namaqua rock fig, Namaqua fig (Eng.); namakwarotsvy, namakwavy, melkboom (Afr.)

Family: Moraceae

The Namaqua rock fig represents the largest and tallest indigenous tree from Namaqualand. It is an ascending, rock-splitting tree confined to rock outcrops,...

12 / 11 / 2018 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus ilicina

Common names: laurel fig, natarra fig (Eng.); louriervy, natarravy (Afr.); natarra (Nama)

Family: Moraceae

The laurel fig is an evergreen, rock-hugging fig from the summer-dry Namaqualand region and further north into Namibia and southern Angola, where rainfall...

03 / 12 / 2018 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus sycomorus subsp sycomorus

Common names: sycamore fig, common cluster fig, mulberry fig (Eng.); trosvy, geelrriviervy, geelstamvy, gewone trosvy, wildevyeboom, sycomorusvy (Afr.); umkhiwa (Nd

Family: Moraceae

A medium-sized tree with yellowish red edible figs....

03 / 06 / 2019 | Cathbert Makgakga | National Herbarium Pretoria

Ficus salicifolia

Common names: Wonderboom fig (Eng.); wonderboomvy (Afr.); isisantu (isiZulu); umkhiwane, indhlaleni (siSwati); motlhatsa (setswana); mohlatssa, mohlatsiso, monokane

Family: Moraceae

This hardy, spreading, evergreen tree produces fruit that will attract any fruit-loving birds to your garden. It is ideal for large properties and very...

13 / 04 / 2020 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Freesia grandiflora

Common names: forest freesia, forest kammetjie (Eng.)

Family: Iridaceae

A beautiful, red-flowered bulbous plant that deserves more horticultural attention. It is perfect for woodland gardens or as a pot plant and performs well...

| Natasha Lombard | National Herbarium Pretoria

Faucaria subintegra

Common names: Tyolomnqa tiger-jaw (Eng.); tierbekvygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Faucaria subintegra’s innocuous teeth makes it a wonderful and unusual member of the genus, with a dense, clump-forming habit giving almost a knobby...

13 / 06 / 2022 | Nomfusi Ntsobi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Felicia tenella subsp. tenella

Common names: bristly felicia (Eng.); astertjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

This striking, winter- or spring-flowering annual with bright blue and yellow daisies, is another of South Africa’s plant jewels. It performs well...

19 / 12 / 2022 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG

Felicia petiolata

Common names: Lesotho felicia, creeping blue marguerite (Eng.); khotolia-ea-thaba, morarana (Sesotho)

Family: Asteraceae

An attractive evergreen, low-growing felicia with yellow-centred, rose pink daisy-like flowers in summer, and dentate leaves on long stems....

16 / 09 / 2024 | Unarine Honest Ndou | Walter Sisulu NBG

Ficus bubu

Common names: bubu fig, sulphur-barked fig, Swazi fig (Eng.); bubuvy, Swazi-vy (Afr.); intfombi (Siswati)

Family: Moraceae

Ficus bubu is a stunning tree that captivates with its lovely yellow-green bark, glossy dark green foliage, thorny branches, strong construction and interesting...

17 / 02 / 2025 | Anelisa Nomaqhiza | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus tettensis

Common names: small-leaved rock fig (Eng.), kleinblaarrotsvy, klipvy (Afr.), tshikululu (Tshivenda), ibozane, ibozane umkulu, inkiwanyane, umkululu, umpayamputsane

Family: Moraceae

The small-leaved rock fig is a rock-splitting tree with an upward growth habit and a rounded crown, hairy leaves, a beautiful yellowish mottled bark and...

05 / 05 / 2025 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Faurea macnaughtonii

Common names: Terblans, Terblans beechwood, Egossa beech, Macnaughton's beech (Eng.); terblans, terblanshout, egossabeukehout, bosboekenhout, rooiboekenhout (Afr.);

Family: Proteaceae

Rising tall and graceful in South Africa’s deep forests, Faurea macnaughtonii is a rare evergreen whose glossy leaves, sweetly scented summer blooms,...

| Siphesihle Precious Sibiya | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus macrophylla

Common names: Moreton Bay Fig, Australian banyan (Eng.); Australiaanse baniaan, queenslandsevy (Afr.)

Family: Moraceae

A large evergreen tree with a massive, heavily buttressed trunk, large, dark green, leathery leaves and small figs. A tree may reach up to 60 m tall with...

12 / 06 / 2025 | | Kirstenbosch NBG

Freesia laxa subsp. azurea

Common names: small blue freesia, blue flowering grass (Eng.) Natal bloupypie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Small blue freesia is a corm with lilac or pale blue flowers with striking purple markings toward the center....

| Sibahle Gumede | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Freesia refracta

$Flowers of Freesia refracta$

Common names: Little Karoo freesia (Eng.); Klein Karoo kammetjie, flissie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Freesia refracta is a deciduous winter-growing geophyte with showy pale greenish or dull white flowers with orange markings. It adds beautiful colour and...

| Lebogang Mokwatsi | National Herbarium Pretoria

Ficus burkei

Common names: common wild fig, strangler fig, Burke’s fig (Eng.); gewone wildevy, wurgvy (Afr.); uluzi, umthombe (isiXhosa); umbombe, umthombe (isiZulu); intenjan

Family: Moraceae

The fascinating Ficus burkei has an extraordinarily hidden life cycle. Its flowers are enclosed within the fig itself and instead of relying on wind or...

| Sibulele Jokazi | Kirstenbosch NBG

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