Plants of the Week

Buxus macowanii

Common names: African box, Cape box, small-leaved box (Eng.), buig-my-nie, Afrikaansebuksboom, Kaapsebuksboom, kleinblaarbuksboom (Afr.), igalagala (isiXhosa), umga

Family: Buxaceae

A small, very slow-growing tree with a clean slender stem and a dense crown of shiny green leaves; it is a good pot plant, can be clipped and trained into...

06 / 05 / 2002 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG

Strumaria truncata

Common names: Namaqualand snowflake

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Strumaria truncata is a charming bulbous plant, little known and unusual in cultivation....

06 / 05 / 2002 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Podocarpus henkelii

20 years old specimen in Kirstenbosch NBG

Common names: Henkel's Yellowwood (Eng), Henkel-se geelhout (Afr), UmSonti (Zulu)

Family: Podocarpaceae

This is one of the most beautiful and decorative of our indigenous conifers, a tree that any plant enthusiast would be proud to have in their garden. With...

13 / 05 / 2002 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Syzygium pondoense

Common names: Pondo Waterwood, Pondowaterhout (A) umdoni wehlathi (Z)

Family: Myrtaceae

This attractive small tree is rare in nature. But it has great horticultural potential, despite its tongue twister of a name which is pronounced sigh-zig-ee-um...

13 / 05 / 2002 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG

Diascia rigescens

Common names: twinspur, bride's saddle

Family: Scrophulariaceae

This attractive, dainty South African perennial will do well in temperate gardens around the world. Easy to grow and long-flowering, this is an ideal plant...

20 / 05 / 2002 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Encephalartos woodii

Common names: Wood's Cycad (Eng.); Wood-se-broodboom (Afr.)

Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos woodii is famous for being extinct in nature, and for the fact that there is no known female specimen on Earth....

20 / 05 / 2002 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clivia mirabilis

Common names: miracle clivia

Family: Amaryllidaceae

The discovery in the Nieuwoudtville area of the Northern Cape of a most unusual new Clivia species, Clivia mirabilis, caused much excitement in the botanical...

20 / 05 / 2002 | Nicky Malcolm | Kirstenbosch NBG

Erica urna-viridis

Common names: green sticky heath (Eng.); groentaaiheide (Afr.)

Family: Ericaceae

Erica urna-viridis is a very unusual erica as it produces green sticky flowers. This is a very unusual colour in the Cape Flora....

27 / 05 / 2002 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Tarchonanthus camphoratus

Common names: camphor bush (E), moologa (V), mofahlana (S.Sotho), igqeba emlimhlophe (Z), wildekanferbos (A), mofathla (T)

Family: Asteraceae

This interesting small tree with its attractive grey foliage is particularly suited to tough conditions. It was a very variable and widespread species...

27 / 05 / 2002 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Protea repens

Common names: sugarbush, common sugarbush, real sugarbush, honey protea (Eng.), suikerbos, stroopbos, opregtesuikerbos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

Protea repens is an excellent addition to any wildlife-friendly garden as the large amount of nectar produced by the flowers attracts birds, bees and other...

03 / 06 / 2002 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG

Searsia lancea

Common names: karee (Eng.); karee, rooikaree (Afr.); mokalabata, monhlohlo, motshakhutshakhu (N.Sotho); inhlangutshane (Siswati); mosinabele, mosilabele (S.Sotho);

Family: Anacardiaceae

The karee is a small- to medium-sized evergreen tree that usually grows to a height of 7 m and a width of 7 m but can be larger depending on environmental...

03 / 06 / 2002 | Marc Stern | Walter Sisulu NBG

Haemanthus albiflos

Common names: white paint brush (Eng.); witpoeierkwas (Afr.); umathunga (Xho.); uzaneke (Zul)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Haemanthus albiflos is the best known of the three evergreen species of Haemanthus and with its handsome leaves, long flowering season and red berries...

10 / 06 / 2002 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Leucosidea sericea

Common names: oldwood (Eng.); ouhout (Afr.); umtshitshi (Zulu); isidwadwa, umyityi (Xhosa); mosino (N. Sotho); munyonga-tshifumbu (Venda)

Family: Rosaceae

...

10 / 06 / 2002 | Marc Stern | Walter Sisulu NBG

Diastella proteoides

Common names: Flats' Silkypuff

Family: Proteaceae

This dainty member of the protea family is threatened with extinction as its habitat disappears....

17 / 06 / 2002 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Dietes bicolor

Common names: yellow wild iris, peacock flower (Eng.); uintjie, poublom (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

With its unusual flowers, attractive shape and ease of cultivation, the yellow wild iris is a versatile garden plant....

17 / 06 / 2002 | Marc Stern | Walter Sisulu NBG

Diospyros whyteana

Common names: bladder-nut, blackbark (Eng.); swartbas (Afr.); mohlatsane (NS); munyavhili (V); umTenatane(X); uManzimane or umKahze(Z)

Family: Ebenaceae

This enticing little tree has so many wonderful features: dark green, strikingly glossy leaves; creamy fragrant flowers; unusual smooth, dark grey, almost...

24 / 06 / 2002 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Heteropyxis natalensis

Common names: Lavender Tree, Laventelboom (A), iNkunzi (Z)

Family: Heteropyxidaceae

This is an attractive small tree suitable for townhouse gardens....

24 / 06 / 2002 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG

Sterculia murex

Common names: lowveld chestnut(E), laeveld kastaiing (A) umbhaba (Swazi), mohlatsane (N Sotho)

Family: Malvaceae

It is not only the beauty of the flowers that creates interest in this tree, but also the unique appearance of its fruit and the lovely, palmately compound...

01 / 07 / 2002 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Strelitzia nicolai

Common names: Natal wild banana, (E); Natalse wildepiesang (A); isigude, igceba, inkamanga (Z); ikhamanga, isigude, isigceba (X).

Family: Strelitziaceae

This is a tall, striking foliage plant related to the well-known Crane Flower, Strelitzia reginae....

01 / 07 / 2002 | Samson Moeketsi Letsela | Walter Sisulu NBG

Dimorphotheca sinuata

Common names: Namaqualand daisy, African daisy (Eng.); gousblom, jakkalsblom, botterblom, namakwalandse madeliefie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

This showy annual creates sheets of brilliant orange when it flowers in Namaqualand in early spring, drawing visitors from near and far. This particularly...

08 / 07 / 2002 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Kirstenbosch NBG

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