Plants of the Week

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E.g., 02/12/2024
E.g., 02/12/2024

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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Erica unicolor subsp. georgensis

Erica unicolor subsp. georgensis
Common names: George onecolour heath (Eng.)
Family: Ericaceae

This shrubby heath produces clusters of red, tubular flowers with light yellow tips, which make it very eye-catching when reaching its flowering peak in...

07 / 12 / 2020 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erythrophleum lasianthum

Erythrophleum lasianthum
Common names: Maputaland ordeal tree, Swazi ordeal tree, sasswood (Eng.); maputalandoordeelboom, swazi-oordeelboom (Afr.); umbhemise, umhlakazane, umkhwangu (isiZul
Family: Fabaceae

A medium to large tree with glossy, dark green foliage and honey-scented flowers in spring and early summer, followed by woody pods that remain on the...

28 / 12 / 2020 | Mmapitsi Malebye | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Encephalartos ngoyanus

Encephalartos ngoyanus
Common names: Ngoye dwarf cycad (Eng.)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos ngoyanus is a small cycad with a subterranean stem that is kept underground by contractile roots. This cycad rarely produces suckers, unless...

08 / 03 / 2021 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Erica densifolia

Erica densifolia
Common names: sticky red-and-green heath (Eng.)
Family: Ericaceae

This evergreen shrub produces tubular red flowers with light yellow tips, from spring until autumn, and is a great addition for attracting birds to your...

12 / 04 / 2021 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elegia spathacea

Elegia spathacea
Common names: pagoda goldreed (Eng.)
Family: Restionaceae

This is a small, aesthetic, slender plant, with striking tan-coloured spathes with reddish brown speckles, suitable for planting in containers....

19 / 04 / 2021 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica ericoides

Erica ericoides
Common names: honey heath, erica heath (Eng.); heuningheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

This evergreen shrub produces masses of small pink flowers, with a distinctive, honey-like scent, in late summer, from January to May, and attracts lots...

05 / 07 / 2021 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica lateralis

Erica lateralis
Common names: button heath (Eng.); knopiesheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

This sturdy evergreen shrub boasts with masses of rosy to pink flowers from late summer until early winter, around February to June. It is ideal for mass...

13 / 09 / 2021 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euphorbia clavarioides

Euphorbia clavarioides
Common names: lion’s spoor (Eng.), grootvingerpol, slangpol, melkpol (Afr.), isihlekehleke, isantilele (isiZulu), sehlehle, sehloko, thethebale (Sesotho)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia clavarioides is a succulent perennial that forms neat, cushion-like clumps of tightly packed stems, just above ground level, with beautiful yellow...

20 / 09 / 2021 | Bathabile Ndlovu | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Erica bolusiae var. cyathiformis

Erica bolusiae var. cyathiformis
Common names: Kraaifontein heath
Family: Ericaceae

The Kraaifontein heath is Extinct in the Wild and could have become Extinct, had it not been for the actions of one individual. It is a variable and attractive...

27 / 09 / 2021 | Kamogelo Solomon Modimola | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Eugenia natalitia

Eugenia natalitia
Common names: forest myrtle (Eng.); bosmirt (Afr.); mukavha-mahunguvhu, murambo-thavha, musiri, tshitawatawane (Venda); umthintane, umbhovane, imanzana (Zulu); inch
Family: Myrtaceae

If you want your garden to be bursting with butterflies, bees and birds (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t), then this is the plant for you!...

18 / 10 / 2021 | Rowan Wilson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica amoena

Erica amoena
Common names: feathery heath (Eng.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica amoena is a fairly lanky little shrub, growing in marshy and swampy areas on the Cape Peninsula, where it is rare and endemic, which makes it special....

29 / 11 / 2021 | Kamogelo Solomon Modimola | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica nabea

Erica nabea
Common names: sepal heath, MacNab’s heath (Eng.)
Family: Ericaceae

This medium sized shrub produces spikes of unusual, greenish flowers from late autumn until the end of winter....

06 / 12 / 2021 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica cruenta

Erica cruenta
Common names: crimson heath (Eng.), rooiheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

The beautiful and bright, shiny red flowers of Erica cruenta stand out amongst the fynbos vegetation and put on quite the show....

13 / 12 / 2021 | Karen Wall | Harold Porter NBG
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Encephalartos heenanii

Encephalartos heenanii growing in habitat. Photo Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency Threatened Plants Project
Common names: woolly cycad (Eng.), wollerige broodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos heenanii is a medium-sized cycad with an erect stem that may become procumbent with age. This cycad is commonly known as the woolly cycad...

03 / 01 / 2022 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Euphorbia umfoloziensis

Euphorbia umfoloziensis
Common names: Umfolozi euphorbia (Eng.); (some euphorbias are commonly known as umhlonhlo in isiZulu)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

In a hot river valley in northern KwaZulu-Natal, this rare, spiny, dwarf succulent can be found. It has only ever been recorded from this one river valley....

28 / 03 / 2022 | Nokukhanya Nozipho Mhlongo | TSP
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Eucomis sonnetteana

Eucomis sonnetteana
Common names: Morgenzon pineapple lily
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This jewel of Mpumalanga is one of the dwarf pineapple lilies, so named, because their flowerheads resemble a pineapple. This one is a recently discovered...

11 / 04 / 2022 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Erica vernicosa

Erica vernicosa
Common names: varnished heath (Eng.), vernisteheid (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

...

30 / 05 / 2022 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica retorta

Erica retorta
Common names: hair-leaf bottle heath, bottle heath (Eng.), bottelheide, flessieheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica retorta is one of the sticky-flowered ericas that grows on the dry mountain slopes above the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden, in Betty’s...

01 / 08 / 2022 | Loretta Floors | Harold Porter NBG
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Elionurus muticus

Elionurus muticus spikelet. Photo Marinda Koekemoer
Common names: wire grass, wire lemongrass, lemon grass, lemon-scented grass, matrass grass, silky grass, simon grass, sour grass, wine grass (Eng.); elsgras, haasgr
Family: Poaceae

Elionurus muticus is an ornamental grass that forms dense tufts with wiry, narrow leaf blades and showy, curved inflorescences. This grass is easily distinguished...

01 / 08 / 2022 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria
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