Plants of the Week

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E.g., 22/12/2024
E.g., 22/12/2024

Cyrtanthus leucanthus

Cyrtanthus leucanthus
Common names: white fire lily (Eng.); witbergpypie (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Cyrtanthus leucanthus, stimulated to flower by fire, is a threatened species of the largest African genus in the Amaryllidaceae family....

12 / 03 / 2012 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW
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Tephrosia kraussiana

Tephrosia kraussiana in habitat
Common names: inSangwana (isiZulu); isiPhungo (isiZulu: smelling)
Family: Fabaceae

Tephrosia kraussiana is relatively easy to cultivate. Its pinkish-purple flowers will add colour to gardens....

05 / 03 / 2012 | Anisha Dayaram | TSP
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Erica canaliculata

Erica canaliculata
Common names: channelled heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica canaliculata is a most impressive species that grows into a small tree that is covered with thousands of small pink flowers in summer. This...

05 / 03 / 2012 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Garcinia gerrardii

Garcinia gerrardii male plant
Common names: forest garcinia, forest mangosteen (Eng.); bosgeelmelkhout (Afr.); umbande, umbindi (Xhosa); isibinda, isikhwelamfene, umbinda (Zulu); sikhwelamkhala
Family: Clusiaceae

Related to the mangosteen from India, the forest garcinia is not a well-known garden ornamental, but it could be. It has fragrant flowers in early summer,...

27 / 02 / 2012 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dodonaea viscosa var. angustifolia

Dodonaea viscosa var. angustifolia
Common names: sand olive (Eng.); sandolien, ysterbos (Afr.); mutata-vhana (Venda); mutepipuma (Shona)
Family: Sapindaceae

This well known, drought and wind resistant, indigenous plant can grow into a shrub as it is usually multi-stemmed, or a small tree when the lower branches...

27 / 02 / 2012 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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Plectranthus ernstii

Plectranthus ernstii
Common names: bonsai mint; bonsai spurflower (Eng.), bonsai-spoorsalie, kransworsies (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

Plectranthus ernstii is a slow growing, semi-succulent perennial with swollen stems and a compact habit that resembles a bonsai, ideal for pot plants...

20 / 02 / 2012 | Andrew Hankey | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Diascia insignis

Diascia insignis flower Photo: M. Kuhlmann
Common names: horinkies (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Diascia insignis, with its beautiful tiny reddish-purple flowers, is known only in and around Nieuwoudtville....

20 / 02 / 2012 | Colleen Rust | Hantam 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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Dipogon lignosus

Dipogon lignosus
Common names: Cape sweet pea (Eng.), mile-a-minute vine, dolichos pea (Australia); bosklimop, rankertjie, wilde-ertjie (Afr.) (= Dolichos lignosus L. and D. gibbosu
Family: Fabaceae

The Cape sweet pea "is a delicate and beautiful twiner and well worth cultivating" (Pole Evans 1931). This plant is a semi-evergreen, hardy perennial...

13 / 02 / 2012 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Terminalia sericea

Terminalia sericea
Common names: mususu (Venda); silver cluster-leaf or silver terminalia (Eng.); vaalboom (Afr.)
Family: Combretaceae

Terminalia sericea is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree which grows up to 9 m, but individual trees can reach 23 m in height....

06 / 02 / 2012 | T.T. Masupa | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Crassula socialis

Crassula socialis
Common names: kommadagga crassula (Eng.); aanteelplakkie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula socialis is a small attractive succulent plant, especially when the dainty white flowers are present in the spring, and it is a good addition...

06 / 02 / 2012 | James Deacon | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Rhigiophyllum squarrosum

Rhigiophyllum squarrosum flowers
Common names: none recorded
Family: Campanulaceae

...

30 / 01 / 2012 | C Cupido | Compton Herbarium
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Leucospermum erubescens

Leucospermum erubescens flower heads
Common names: orange flame pincushion, Langeberg pincushion (Eng.); oranjevlamspeldekussing (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Leucospermum erubescens is an eye-catching shrub that is covered with large, flaming orange pincushions throughout spring and early summer....

30 / 01 / 2012 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Tamarix usneoides

Tamarix usneoides tree © Henry Brisse
Common names: wild tamarix, dabbie, daweb (Eng.); abiekwasgeelhout, dabbie, dabees, dawee, daweep, dawib, dawip, soutboom (Afr.)
Family: Tamaricaceae

Tamarix usneoides is an evergreen shrubby tree of semideserts and karooid areas, with short scaly trunk, leafy branches usually extending from ground...

23 / 01 / 2012 | Nonkululo Phephu | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Scabiosa drakensbergensis

Scabiosa drakensbergensis
Common names: Drakensberg scabious, pincushion (Eng.); koringblom (Afr.)
Family: Dipsacaceae

A bushy scabiosa with large soft green leaves and beautiful, pure white, ball-like inflorescences with flowers packed tightly at the tips of long delicate...

23 / 01 / 2012 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Rhoicissus digitata

Rhoicissus digitata
Common names: baboon grape (Eng.); bobbejaandruif (Afr.); isiNwazi, umThwazi, umNangwazi, umPhambane (Z); isaQoni, isaQoni esincini (X)
Family: Vitaceae

This member of the grape family is an attractive hardy creeper with shiny three- or five-partite leaves. It is traditionally used to make jam and also...

16 / 01 / 2012 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Nerine filifolia

Nerine filifolia
Common names: grass-leaved nerine (Eng.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

This floriferous summer-growing plant produces delicate, bright pink flowers which bring a magnificent colourful display to your garden towards the end...

16 / 01 / 2012 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Ornithogalum dubium

Ornithogalum dubium
Common names: yellow chincherinchee (Eng.); geeltjienkerientjee, geeltjienk (Afr.); itsweletswele lasethafeni (Xhosa)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Ornithogalum dubium is a long-blooming, showy plant with beautiful large flowers, ideal for growing in pots, and as a cut flower....

09 / 01 / 2012 | Olivia Tyambetyu | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dialium schlechteri

Dialium schlechteri tree
Common names: sherbet tree, zulu podberry (Eng.); zoeloepeulbessie (Afr.); umThiba (Zulu); ensiba (Tsonga); enziva (Ronga)
Family: Fabaceae

This very attractive forest tree, with shiny leaves and mottled white bark, will appeal to every tree lover in South Africa....

09 / 01 / 2012 | Jean Meyer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Ruschia maxima

Ruschia maxima
Common names: giant mountain vygie (Eng.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Ruschia maxima is one of the largest species in its genus. It has characteristically larger leaves than most other vygies and is crowned as the giant...

02 / 01 / 2012 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG
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