Plants of the Week

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E.g., 10/12/2024
E.g., 10/12/2024

Encephalartos nubimontanus

Encephalartos nubimontanus
Common names: blue cycad, cloud mountain cycad (Eng.); bloubroodboom (Afr.), isigciki-somkhovu (isiZulu); gebeleweni (siSwati)
Family: Zamiaceae

A stunning, desirable, fast-growing cycad, with beautiful, twisted, grey-blue leaves; illegal collecting of wild plants, because it is in high demand as...

17 / 08 / 2020 | Winfred Velephi Ngwenya | Lowveld NBG
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Schotia capitata

Schotia capitata
Common names: dwarf boer-bean, forest tree-fuschia, wild-fuschia, Transvaal boer-bean (Eng.); kleinboerboon, transvaalboerboon (Afr.); isincasha, uvovovo (Zulu).
Family: Fabaceae

A dwarf relative of the weeping boer-bean, with a short, bushy form and numerous scarlet flowers in dense heads in spring and early summer, common in eastern...

31 / 08 / 2020 | Thabang Makola | Karoo Desert NBG
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Crassula cremnophila

Crassula cremnophila
Common names: cliff crassula (Eng.); kransrosie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula cremnophila is a rare, dwarf, cluster-forming, cliff-dwelling succulent, up to 70 mm high, with leaves in a tight, hemispherical, bluish green...

31 / 08 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Rhoicissus rhomboidea

Rhoicissus rhomboidea
Common names: glossy forest grape, glossy wild grape, ropewood (Eng.); blinkblaarbosdruif, bimbrikos, bobbejaantou (Afr.); umbovu (Swa.); tshikundwi-mae (Ven.); umt
Family: Vitaceae

A very adaptable, climbing plant that is suitable for indoors as well as outdoors. It is rather vigorous in its spread and makes a great cover for those...

07 / 09 / 2020 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Hibiscus coddii

Hibiscus coddii
Common names: Codd’s red hibiscus (Eng.); bokgobakataba (Sepedi)
Family: Malvaceae

An upright shrubby perennial with attractive, bright red flowers in autumn; it is a decorative garden ornamental or container plant in full sun or partial...

14 / 09 / 2020 | Fergy Nkadimeng | Pretoria NBG
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Erica tragulifera

Erica tragulifera
Common names: Kamanassie white heath (Eng.); kamanassiewitheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

This attractive, evergreen, little plant boasts with an eye-catching display of white flowers from winter until almost the end of spring....

14 / 09 / 2020 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Apodolirion amyanum

Apodolirion amyanum
Common names: Amy’s apodolirion (Eng.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

...

21 / 09 / 2020 | Pamela Nondumiso Sgatya | CREW
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Haworthiopsis reinwardtii

Haworthiopsis reinwardtii
Common names: Reinwardt's haworthiopsis, zebra wart (Eng.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

A clump-forming, spotty or zebra-striped, spiral leaved succulent, with an intriguing miniature size and outstanding form....

21 / 09 / 2020 | Bathabile Ndlovu | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Polygala gazensis

Polygala gazensis
Common names: Gazaland butterfly bush, Gazaland milkwort (Eng.)
Family: Polygalaceae

Polygala gazensis is one of the lesser known polygalas, with an unusual yellow-bronzed tinge to the green foliage that is eye-catching in the garden, particularly...

28 / 09 / 2020 | Zoleka May | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Haworthia genus

Haworthia cymbiformis
Family: Asphodelaceae

These dwarf leaf succulents with their extremely variable compact rosettes of leaves with different colours, patterns and shapes, are extremely popular...

28 / 09 / 2020 | Ronell R. Klopper | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Anisodontea dissecta

Anisodontea dissecta
Common names: Ruens mallow (Eng.)
Family: Malvaceae

Anisodontea dissecta is an attractive shrub with a bright showy display of white to light pink flowers to brighten your garden in spring.Fig. 1: The white...

05 / 10 / 2020 | Lindokuhle Sibisi | Compton Herbarium
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Protea curvata

Protea curvata
Common names: Barberton sugarbush, Barberton lowveld sugarbush, serpentine sugarbush (Eng.); barbertonlaeveldsuikerbos, serpentynsuikerbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

...

05 / 10 / 2020 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Asparagus retrofractus

Asparagus retrofractus
Common names: zigzag asparagus, ming fern bush; ming asparagus; pom pom asparagus (Eng.); katdoring (Afr.)
Family: Asparagaceae

Quite often, this plant is mistaken for a fern when in-fact it is an attractive, scrambling herbaceous flowering plant, that has zigzagging stems clothed...

12 / 10 / 2020 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Putterlickia pyracantha

Putterlickia pyracantha
Common names: false spike-thorn, fire-thorn putterlickia (Eng.); valspendoring, branddoring (Afr.); intlangwana, umhlangwe, umqaqoba (Xho.)
Family: Celastraceae

An awesome multi-stemmed shrub or small tree, with the most attractive flowers that become redder and more showy after they open. Its spiny character makes...

12 / 10 / 2020 | Sephatle Evans Molekoa | Lowveld NBG
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Aloe andersonii

Aloe andersonii
Common names: Mount Anderson cliff aloe (Eng.); Mount Anderson-grasaalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

 A cliff-dwelling grass aloe, with soft leaves drooping from the sandstone cliff faces of Mount Anderson. It flowers in spring, when the solitary...

19 / 10 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ledebouria ovalifolia

Ledebouria ovalifolia (Photo Klaus Wehrlin)
Common names: fynbos African hyacinth (Eng.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This curious dwarf species has a restricted distribution mainly in the southern, western and Northern Cape. It makes a great pot plant where it quickly...

19 / 10 / 2020 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Freesia grandiflora

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...

26 / 10 / 2020 | Natasha Lombard | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Protea inopina

Protea inopina, flowerheads fully open and starting to open.
Common names: large-nut sugarbush (Eng.)
Family: Proteaceae

...

26 / 10 / 2020 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ledebouria loskopica

Ledebouria loskopica
Common names: Loskop African hyacinth (Eng.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

With its hairy leaves and strongly scented flowers, the Loskop African hyacinth was only recently formally recognized as a new species, despite being first...

02 / 11 / 2020 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Aeollanthus rydingianus

Aeollanthus rydingianus
Common names: Omavanda rock-sage (Eng.); omavanda-klipsalie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

A very aromatic, fast-growing, branched, semi-succulent shrublet, with sticky, green leaves, bearing mauve, 2-lipped flowers in winter and spring. It is...

02 / 11 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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