Plants of the Week

Obetia tenax

Common names: mountain nettle, rock tree-nettle, tree nettle, giant nettle, stinging nettle tree (Eng.); bergbrandnetel, rotsbrandnetel (Afr.); lebati (Northern Sot

Family: Urticaceae

An awesome small tree with the most striking flowers and leaves with stinging hairs, that can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable....

14 / 10 / 2019 | Sephatle Evans Molekoa | Lowveld NBG

Ochna

Common names: wild planes, mickey-mouse plants

Family: Ochnaceae

All species of Ochna have very attractive yellow flowers, with an unusual persistent calyx that enlarges when in fruit, becoming cream-coloured, pink...

03 / 08 / 2009 | M.S. Mothogoane | Pretoria NBG

Ochna natalitia

Common names: showy plane, coastal- boxwood, coastal- redwood, Natal plane (Eng.); pronkrooihout, Natalrooihout (Afr.); mbovu, isithundu (isiZulu); tshipfure (Tshiv

Family: Ochnaceae

Ochna natalitia is a wonderful, large shrub to small tree, not yet fully harnessed by gardeners, and offers an attractive display almost continuously through...

14 / 09 / 2015 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ochna pretoriensis

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Common names: Magalies plane ( Eng. ); Magalies-rooihout (Afr.)

Family: Ochnaceae

Ochna pretoriensis is one of the magnificent evergreen shrubs in South Africa, especially in the warm northern regions of South Africa. It flowers...

28 / 04 / 2008 | A Mothapo | National Herbarium Pretoria

Ochna pulchra

Common names: peeling plane, peeling-bark ochna (Eng.); lekkerbreek (Afr.); monyelewyele (Tswana); monamane, mopha (Northern Sotho); musuma, murambo, tshithothonya

Family: Ochnaceae

This species is better known by its Afrikaans name, lekkerbreek. This is most probably one of South Africa 's most beautiful trees, but also one of...

27 / 06 / 2005 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG

Ochna serrulata

Common names: Mickey Mouse bush, small-leaved plane, carnival bush (Eng.); fynblaarrooihout (Afr.); Umbomvane (Zulu); iliTye (Xhosa)

Family: Ochnaceae

This is certainly a shrub that every gardener should have in their garden, not only because of its beautiful yellow flowers, but also because of its attractive...

02 / 12 / 2002 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ocimum labiatum

Common names: pink sage bush, shell bush (Eng.); pienksalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

A stunning drought-hardy ornamental shrub which thrives in full sun or partial shade, flowering prolifically from early summer to late autumn....

17 / 12 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Ocimum obovatum

Common names: cat's whiskers ( Eng. ); katsnor (Afr.); Idada, Iziba, Ufukuzela, Umathanjane (Zulu)

Family: Lamiaceae

Erect and sometimes spreading, low-growing perennial herb, this plant is an excellent link between lawn and a shrubby border. It is a good candidate for...

04 / 07 / 2005 | T Mukoma | Lowveld NBG

Ocotea bullata

Common names: stinkwood, black stinkwood, Cape laurel, (Eng), stinkhout, swartstinkhout, laurelhout (Afr), umnukani (Zulu), umhlungulu (Xhosa)

Family: Lauraceae

The black stinkwood, or stinkwood as it is commonly known, is a large evergreen tree suitable for large gardens and parks. Along with yellowood, its timber...

06 / 03 / 2006 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ocotea kenyensis

Common names: northern stinkwood, false stinkwood, bastard stinkwood, mock stinkwood, Transvaal stinkwood (Eng), noordelikestinkhout, vals-stinkhout, basterstinkhou

Family: Lauraceae

A big, attractive, fast-growing, evergreen tree of up to 30 m height with a much-branched, rounded canopy of simple, glossy, usually aromatic leaves, with...

06 / 03 / 2023 | Winfred Velephi Ngwenya | Lowveld NBG

Oftia africana

Common names: lazy bush (Eng.); koekblommetjiesbos, sukkelbossie (Afr.)

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Rough to the touch, this shrublet has pretty white flowers that have a sweet, chocolaty fragrance....

17 / 07 / 2017 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Oldenburgia grandis

Common names: Suurberg cushion bush, mountain hunchback, rabbit's ears, lamb's ears, donkey's ears (Eng.); Suurbergkussingbos, Suurbergse dikblaarlepelboom, basters

Family: Asteraceae

Oldenburgia grandis is a remarkable, small, thick-set, tree similar in appearance to some tree proteas, but this strange plant's thistle-like flowers...

02 / 02 / 2004 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Oldenburgia paradoxa

Common names: cliff cushion bush (Eng.); klipkreupelbos (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Oldenburgia paradoxa is an unusual cushion-shaped species of the daisy family that grows on rocks in the Cape mountains and looks like an alpine plant....

08 / 09 / 2014 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Olea capensis

Common names: (subsp. capensis ) small ironwood , black ironwood, buchuwood, buckutree, false ironwood (Eng.); kleinysterhout , basterswartysterhout, basterysterhou

Family: Oleaceae

Happy the grandchild who inherits a garden shaded by a black ironwood tree, for they have grandparents of great foresight and intelligence. These trees...

09 / 12 / 2013 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Olea europaea subsp. africana

Common names: wild olive, olienhout (Afr.), mohlware (NSotho, SSotho), umnquma (Zulu, Xhosa, Swati), mutlhwari (Venda), motlhware (Tswana)

Family: Oleaceae

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18 / 11 / 2002 | Pitta Joffe | Pretoria NBG

Olea exasperata

Common names: dune olive, coast olive (Eng.); duineolien, glashoutolien, slanghout, vlashoutolien, basterolienhout (Afr.)

Family: Oleaceae

Olea exasperata, one of the wild olive trees of South Africa, is an ornamental shrub or small tree that generally occurs in coastal scrub, on sand dunes...

18 / 11 / 2019 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Olinia emarginata

Common names: mountain hard pear (Eng.); berghardpeer (Afr.)

Family: Oliniaceae

Olinia emarginata is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree, with attractive flowers and berries which makes for an attractive garden ornamental,...

04 / 06 / 2001 | Berenice Carolus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Olinia ventosa

Common names: hard pear ( Eng. ); hardepeer (Afr.); umNgenalahla, iNgobamakhosi, iNqudu, umNonono (Xhosa)

Family: Oliniaceae

This beautiful tree makes a striking impression in spring when it is in full flower and is a good choice for a shade tree or focal point in a garden with...

30 / 01 / 2006 | Penny Jaffe | Kirstenbosch NBG