Plants of the Week

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E.g., 30/12/2024
E.g., 30/12/2024

Restio multiflorus

Restio multiflorus
Common names: many-flowered restio
Family: Restionaceae

This is a very attractive, dense, upright, tufted plant that can be used as an accent plant or to provide a grass-like accent in a mixed border or fynbos...

02 / 06 / 2003 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Hypoxis colchicifolia

Hypoxix colchicifolia©G Nichols
Common names: broad-leaved hypoxis (Eng.); iLabatheka (Zulu)
Family: Hypoxidaceae

This is a must for every South African  gardener, not only for its medicinal uses, but also for its bright yellow flowers in late spring....

02 / 06 / 2003 | Siyabulela Nonjinge | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Cyperus textilis

Baskets made of Cyperus textilis
Common names: mat sedge, umbrella sedge, basket grass, rushes, emezi grass (Eng.); matjiesgoed, kooigoed, (Afr.); imisi (Xhosa)
Family: Cyperaceae

This is a decorative waterside plant that can also be used to weave baskets and sleeping mats or to make rolled twine....

26 / 05 / 2003 | Christien Malan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Alepidea amatymbica

Alepidea amatymbica
Common names: giant alepidea, larger tinsel flower (Eng.); kalmoes, slangwortel (Afr.); iqwili (isiXhosa); ikhathazo (isiZulu); lesoko (South Sotho), inkatsankatsa
Family: Apiaceae

Alepidea amatymbica has extremely popular and highly sought after rhizomes, for medicinal use, and is an important component of the healer's pharmacy....

26 / 05 / 2003 | Siyabulela Nonjinge | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Tinnea barbata

Tinnea barbata
Common names: bush violet, blue tinnea
Family: Lamiaceae

This superb little shrub is related to salvias. The delicate deep purple-blue flowers dangling from erect branches like little ornaments are this shrub's...

19 / 05 / 2003 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Crinum paludosum

Crinum paludosum
Common names: bushveld vlei lily
Family: Amaryllidaceae

This is a very beautiful lily with funnel-shaped flowers that are white to pale pink, enhanced by reddish stigmas. Crinum paludosum is a slender,...

19 / 05 / 2003 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Eulophia horsfallii

Eulophia horsfallii
Family: Orchidaceae

Eulophia horsfallii ( sometimes called E.rosea) is a magnificent, tall-growing, purple-flowered orchid found in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo...

12 / 05 / 2003 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dovyalis caffra

Dovyalis caffra. Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: Kei-apple (Eng.); Kei-appel (Afr.); motlhono (North Sotho); umqokolo (Zulu); amaqokolo (Ndebele); mukokolo (Shona)
Family: Salicaceae

Dovyalis caffra is a lovely evergreen fruit tree or shrub. It is one of the three Dovyalis species, together with D. zeyheri (wild...

12 / 05 / 2003 | Avhurengwi Phillemon Ndou | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Restio dispar

Female inflorescences of Restio dispar
Common names: red-spathe restio
Family: Restionaceae

This large, sturdy, Cape reed will introduce a true autumn feeling in your garden with its striking orange-brown, female inflorescences during April, May...

05 / 05 / 2003 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Bolusanthus speciosus

Bolusanthus speciosa
Common names: tree wisteria; Vanwykshout (Afr.); mogaba (Northern Sotho); umHolo (Zulu) National tree list no.: 222
Family: Fabaceae

The tree wisteria is certainly one of the most spectacular of our indigenous trees when in flower, mimicking the splendour of the jacaranda, which unfortunately...

05 / 05 / 2003 | Nick Klapwijk | Pretoria NBG
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Baleria repens

Barleria repens
Common names: small bush violet (Eng.); kleinbosviooltjie (Afr.), inzinziniba (Zulu)
Family: Acanthaceae

The small bush violet produces masses of pretty tubular flowers and will happily scramble up into surrounding vegetation if conditions are good....

28 / 04 / 2003 | Pitta Joffe | Pretoria NBG
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Apodytes dimidiata subsp.dimidiata

Apodytes dimidiata
Common names: white pear, bird's eye (Eng.); witpeer (Afr.); umdakane (Xhosa); umdagane (Zulu); umdzagame (Swati) sephopha-madi, kgalagangwê (N. Sotho), tshiphopha
Family: Icacinaceae

Apodytes dimidiata is the ideal tree for the home garden as it does not have messy fruits and is safe to plant near the house, not disturbing the...

28 / 04 / 2003 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Tinospora fragosa

Tinospora fragosa
Common names: Aaron's rod, wonder plant (Eng.); Aaron-se-staf, wonderplant (Afr.)
Family: Menispermaceae

Tinospora fragosa is an amazing and peculiar succulent-stemmed twiner with attractive heart-shaped leaves and red fruits. It is easily grown and thrives...

21 / 04 / 2003 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos lehmannii

Encephalartos lehmannii : Photo:Nat Grobbelaar
Common names: Karoo cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

This cycad has been described as the hardiest, most drought resistant of the South African species. In the past, many specimens of this cycad were removed...

21 / 04 / 2003 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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Lachenalia corymbosa

Lachenalia corymbosa
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Lachenalia corymbosa is one of five  brightly coloured, bulbous geophytes, which were previously in the genus Polyxena, but have now been included...

14 / 04 / 2003 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos lebomboensis

Encephalartos lebomboensis: Phot: N Grobbelaar
Common names: Lebombo cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

This cycad is said to be one of the most popular cycads in cultivation, although there is some confusion about its identity. Several populations of what...

14 / 04 / 2003 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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Lessertia frutescens

Lessertia frutescens
Common names: sutherlandia, cancer bush, balloon pea (Eng.); umnwele(Xhosa & Zulu); kankerbos, blaasbossie, blaas-ertjie, eendjies, gansiekeurtjie, klappers, ho
Family: Fabaceae

Lessertia frutescens  is a much-respected and long-used medicinal plant that is also an attractive garden plant, and has been cultivated in gardens...

07 / 04 / 2003 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos horridus

E.horridus. Photo Nat Grobbelaar
Common names: Eastern Cape blue cycad, blue cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

This cycad has been described as one of the most unusual of all the South African species. It has been very over-collected in the past, but sufficient...

07 / 04 / 2003 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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Drosanthemum floribundum

Drosanthemum floribundum
Common names: purple carpet (Eng.); perstapeit (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

This hardy perennial produces dazzling metallic purple flowers in spring each year....

31 / 03 / 2003 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Conophytum truncatum

Conophytum truncatum
Common names: dumpling
Family: Aizoaceae

Have you ever seen anything like this? For the uninitiated this strange plant must seem extraterrestrial. So it must have appeared also to its discoverers...

31 / 03 / 2003 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
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