Plants of the Week

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E.g., 03/12/2024

Gasteria excelsa

Gasteria excelsa in flower at Kirstenbosch, growing on a dry stone wall
Common names: thicket ox-tongue, regal ox-tongue (Eng.); ruigte-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria excelsa is a medium-sized aloe-like plant bearing triangular, spreading, ascending, dark-mottled green leaves and a dense panicle of pinkish...

11 / 06 / 2012 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria glauca

Gasteria glauca in flower in cultivation at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Kouga River gasteria (Eng.); Kouga-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria glauca is a small aloe-like plant with highly succulent, glaucous (grey-green) leaves arranged in a dense rosette. It grows on cliff faces...

30 / 11 / 2009 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria polita

Flowers
Common names: polished gasteria, polished ox tongue
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria polita is a recently discovered species that is both attractive and easy to grow.   ...

20 / 01 / 2003 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria pulchra

Gasteria pulchra plant
Common names: none recorded
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria pulchra is a small to medium-sized aloe-like plant bearing narrow and pointed, ascending, dark-mottled green leaves and a loose panicle of...

26 / 03 / 2012 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria rawlinsonii

Gasteria rawlinsonii in flower, in cultivation
Common names: Baviaanskloof cliff gasteria (Eng.); kransbeestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria rawlinsonii is a shrubby, aloe-like, succulent cliff hanger found only in the Baviaanskloof of the Eastern Cape Province. It is the only...

23 / 11 / 2009 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria thunbergii

Inflorescence
Common names: Gouritz gasteria (Eng.); Gouritz-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria thunbergii is a dwarf aloe-like, opposite-leaved succulent, endemic to the Gouritz River south of the Langeberg Mountains of the Western...

10 / 02 / 2014 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria vlokii

Gasteria vlokii habitat on Waboomsberg, Western Cape
Common names: Swartberg ox-tongue (Eng.); Swartberg-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria vlokii is one of the more or less 23 known Gasteria species endemic to southern Africa. It is easily propagated from leaf cuttings...

08 / 03 / 2010 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria pillansii

Gasteria pillansii inflorescence
Common names: Namaqua gasteria (Eng.); Namakwa-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria pillansii is the only true winter rainfall species of the genus. It is easily grown in containers in a shady spot, but has to be kept dry...

01 / 05 / 2006 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria tukhelensis

Close up of flowers,flowering at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Tugela ox-tongue (Eng.), Tugela-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria tukhelensis is one of the more or less 20 species so far known of the popular, aloe-like genus Gasteria which is endemic to southern...

28 / 05 / 2007 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gazania rigida

Gazania rigida in flower
Common names: Karoo gazania
Family: Asteraceae

Gazania rigida is not easy to miss during late winter to early summer when it colours the landscape in bright splashes of orange and yellow....

16 / 09 / 2013 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gazania splendidissima

Gazania splendidissima subshrub
Common names: None
Family: Asteraceae

Gazania splendidissima is an eye-catching perennial with striking greyish, semi-succulent leaves and golden-yellow to orange flowers....

13 / 02 / 2012 | Anthony R. Magee | Compton Herbarium
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Gazania krebsiana

Gazania krebsiana
Common names: terracotta gazania (Eng.); gousblom, botterblom, rooi gazania (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Gazania krebsiana, previously known as Gazania pavonia, must be one of Namaqualand 's most well-known and striking perennial plants....

18 / 09 / 2006 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gazania rigens var. leucolaena

Gazania rigens var. leucolaena
Common names: trailing gazania (Eng.); strandgazania, strandgousblom, rankbotterblom (Afr.); ububendle (Zulu)
Family: Asteraceae

When in full flower, the bright yellow flower heads set against the greyish white leaves, create an attractive, bright, cheerful patch to lighten up any...

18 / 10 / 2010 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Geissorhiza radians

Geissorhiza radians plants
Common names: winecups, satin flower
Family: Iridaceae

Looking much like half-full wine glasses, Geissorhiza radians lights up the veld in late spring, providing a spectacular but uncommon sight....

27 / 10 / 2008 | Gary Shanks | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Geissorhiza aspera

Geissorhiza aspera
Common names: blue satin flower (Eng.), blousysie, syblom (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Geissorhiza aspera. a common sight in spring, is a diminutive little plant with star-like flowers, which floods the veld with shades of blue when grown...

23 / 10 / 2006 | C Cowell | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Geissorhiza splendidissima

Common names: blue pride of Nieuwoudtville (Eng.); blou trots van Nieuwoudtville (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Because of its beautiful, brilliant, dark purple-blue flowers, Geissorhiza splendidissima is called the blou trots van Nieuwoudtville (blue pride of Nieuwoudtville)...

17 / 08 / 2009 | Colleen Rust | Hantam NBG
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Geissorhiza purpureolutea

Geissorhiza purpureolutea
Common names: satin flower, wine-cup
Family: Iridaceae

Geissorhiza purpureolutea is a rare species with cream to yellow flowers with a dark brown to purple centre. It is suited to growing in pots....

27 / 06 / 2011 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW
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Geranium drakensbergensis

Geranium drakensbergensis
Common names: Drakensberg cranesbill
Family: Geraniaceae

An attractive, floriferous and vigorous herbaceous perennial that makes a wonderful addition to a summer perennial border....

17 / 03 / 2014 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Geranium incanum

Geranium incanum
Common names: Carpet Geranium (English); Horlosies, Vrouetee, Bergtee, (Afrikaans); ngope-sethsoha, tlako (Sotho).
Family: Geraniaceae

The Carpet Geranium is an ideal garden plant. It spreads and forms a dense carpet approximately 300 mm thick and flowers almost all year round with a peak...

26 / 11 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Geranium multisectum

Geranium multisectum
Common names: crane's bill
Family: Geraniaceae

 Like pelargoniums, this is a geranium which makes an interesting garden plant....

31 / 12 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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