Plants of the Week

Browse through all previous entries of Plants Of The Week

  • Sort by date added
  • Sort Alphabetically
Go to Plants of the Week Advanced Search
E.g., 11/10/2024
E.g., 11/10/2024

Dierama dubium

Dierama dubium
Common names: hidden hairbell (Eng.); grasklokkie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

A little-known and seldom seen, perennial, evergreen geophyte with small, nodding dark purple-red flowers and white bracts which are borne on arching stems...

19 / 08 / 2024 | Mlondi Sikhosana | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
Read More

Imperata cylindrica

Imperata cylindrica in flower in habitat
Common names: silver-spike, cogon grass, cottonwool grass, beady grass, bedding grass, Ramsammy grass, river grass, silky grass, susenke, sword grass (Eng.); donsgr
Family: Poaceae

Silver-spike or cogon grass has a distinctive flowerhead, which is silky-white or cream and shaped like a cylindrical plume. The leaves are hard, rigid...

26 / 08 / 2024 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Eriosema cordatum

Eriosema cordatum
Common names: heart-leaf eriosema (Eng.); leshetla (Sesotho); ubangalala, umhlabankunzi (isiZulu)
Family: Fabaceae

Eriosema cordatum is a fascinating plant known for its aphrodisiac and medicinal properties, beautiful vibrant flowers and heart-shaped leaves, which make...

26 / 08 / 2024 | Mpho Mathalauga | Pretoria NBG
Read More

Tulbaghia pretoriensis

Tulbaghia pretoriensis
Common names: Pretoria wild garlic (Eng.); Pretoria-wildeknoffel (Afr.)
Family: Alliaceae

A little-known and recently described species of wild garlic endemic to Pretoria with sweetly fragrant coconut-scented flowers that is low maintenance...

02 / 09 / 2024 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG
Read More

Leysera tenella

Leysera tenella
Common names: common wireweed, little tortoise-tea, slender leysera, slender-leaved leysera, small-flowered leysera (Eng.); kleinskilpadteebossie, teebossie, vaalte
Family: Asteraceae

A stunning and adaptable short-lived plant with attractive yellow flowers in spring, distributed throughout the arid and semi-arid habitats of South Africa,...

02 / 09 / 2024 | Thabang Makola | Karoo Desert NBG
Read More

Erica uysii

Erica uysii
Common names: De Hoop bell heath, Uys’ heath (Eng.) De Hoop-klokkiesheide, Uys-heide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica uysii starts to form flower buds by the middle of August and fully presents light to dark pink flowers in September and October....

09 / 09 / 2024 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Aristea grandis

Aristea grandis
Common names: large blue-stars, giant blue-eyed grass (Eng.)
Family: Iridaceae

A beautiful, robust, grass-like plant with striking deep blue flowers that grow in clusters up tall stems, and broad, pale green leaves. It is a member...

09 / 09 / 2024 | Sefularo Ramaboea | National Zoological Gardens
Read More

Drosera xerophila

Drosera xerophila
Common names: xeric sundew, dryland sundew (Eng.)
Family: Droseraceae

Drosera xerophila is one of the stunning sundews, belonging to the Droseraceae family, characterised by a rosette of leaves that lie close to the ground...

16 / 09 / 2024 | Nyameka Dlawu | Harold Porter NBG
Read More

Felicia petiolata

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
Read More

Barleria soutpansbergensis

Barleria soutpansbergensis growing in open woodland
Common names: Soutpansberg bush violet (Eng.); Soutpansberg-bosviooltjie (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

The Soutpansberg bush violet is a newly described species only known from the western Soutpansberg Centre of Plant Endemism, Limpopo Province, where it...

23 / 09 / 2024 | Ntsakisi Masia | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
Read More

Eragrostis capensis

Eragrostis capensis
Common names: Cape love grass, small heart-seed grass (Eng.), bosluisgras, hartjiegras, hartjie eragrostis (Afr.); baroa, baroana, la-barao, la-baroana, senana (Ses
Family: Poaceae

Cape love grass can be recognized easily because of their heart-shaped and purple-flushed spikelets; the best guide to the identification of species of...

23 / 09 / 2024 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Aloe suprafoliata

Aloe suprafoliata, leaves stacked on top of each other like pages of an open book.
Common names: book aloe, book-leaved aloe (Eng.), boekaalwyn (Afr.), icena, umhlabandlazi (isiZulu)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe suprafoliata has a distinctive growth habit that changes as it matures, with the young emerging leaves curving out sideways, stacked directly on top...

30 / 09 / 2024 | Keitumetse Lenong | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
Read More

Baculellum articulatum

Baculellum articulatum
Common names: sausage plant, candle plant, hot dog plant (Eng.); worsies, worsiesplantjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This little succulent plant from the daisy family, known as sausage plant or candle plant, is so named for its distinctive jointed, swollen stems....

30 / 09 / 2024 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG
Read More

Curio articulatus

Common names: sausage plant, candle plant, hot dog plant (Eng.); worsies, worsiesplantjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This plant is now called Baculellum articulatum ...

30 / 09 / 2024 | | Free State NBG
Read More

Senecio articulatus

Common names: sausage plant, candle plant, hot dog plant (Eng.); worsies, worsiesplantjie (Afr.)

This plant is now called Baculellum articulatum ...

30 / 09 / 2024 | | Free State NBG
Read More

Gladiolus liliaceus

Gladiolus liliaceus
Common names: large brown-afrikaner, large brown africander, brown africander, sword lily (Eng.); ribbokblom, aandpypie, grootbruinafrikaner, kaneelaandblom, bruina
Family: Iridaceae

The large brown-afrikaner has a remarkable ability to transform its flower colour from light brown, pinkish-red, tan, purplish, cream or greenish-yellow...

07 / 10 / 2024 | Ramafalo Dikeledi | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Mesembryanthemum amplectens

Mesembryanthemum amplectens in flower in habitat
Common names: clasping ice plant (Eng.); klouvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

A distinctive low-growing succulent dominating the flat lands of the Richtersveld, forming a beautiful floral mat on open spaces with its eye-catching...

07 / 10 / 2024 | Thabang Makola | Karoo Desert NBG
Read More