Plants of the Week

Rotheca hirsuta

Common names: butterfly bush, Matabele violet, wild violet (Eng.); sigibanyongo (siSwati); khopha, mokata (Sotho); umathanjana, umathanjane, uSikisiki (Zulu)

Family: Lamiaceae

Rotheca hirsuta occurs mainly in grassland. It is one of the first spring flowers to appear after winter in the summer rainfall regions....

04 / 02 / 2008 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria

Rotheca louwalbertsii

Common names: butterfly bush, tall wild violet, Louw Alberts' wild violet (Eng.); langbeen skoenlapperbos, Louw Alberts-se-wilde viooltjie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Rotheca louwalbertsii is a slender, dainty plant with purplish blue flowers borne in long, terminal inflorescences. The individual flowers look almost...

21 / 09 / 2009 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria

Rothmannia capensis

Common names: wild gardenia, common Rothmannia (Eng.); wildekatjiepiering (Afr.); modulatshwene (Northern Sotho); mukubudu (Venda); umPhazane-mkhlu (Zulu); iBolo (X

Family: Rubiaceae

Rothmannia capensis is one of the loveliest indigenous trees for the home garden. It attracts birds and it has a non-aggressive root system. ...

28 / 06 / 2004 | J K Baloyi | Pretoria NBG

Rothmannia globosa

Common names: September bells, bell gardenia (Eng.); klokkies-valskatjiepiering (Afr.); umGubhe (Xhosa); umPhazane (Zulu); Thudwane (Venda); siKoba (Swati)

Family: Rubiaceae

Rothmannia globosa is a decorative small garden tree with fragrant white bell-shaped flowers in early summer....

14 / 11 / 2005 | J K Baloyi | Pretoria NBG

Ruellia cordata

Common names: veld violet (Eng.); grasveldviooltjie (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

Ruellia cordata is known by its softly hairy, greyish leaves and showy pink, purple-blue or white flowers with purple streaks, in spring and early summer;...

11 / 10 / 2021 | Noko Molokomme | Pretoria NBG

Ruellia patula

Common names: white veld violet (Eng); witveldviooltjie (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

A small attractive spreading perennial with stems up to 500 mm long, and white to mauve or purple funnel-shaped flowers in summer. It is easy to grow,...

28 / 10 / 2024 | Thembuluwo Maduwa | Thohoyandou NBG

Ruschia

Common names: beesvygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Plants in the Ruschia genus are among the most striking, versatile and diverse of all succulents in the Mesembryanthemum group of the Aizoaceae...

14 / 11 / 2005 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG

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

Ruschia promontorii

Common names: Peninsula cliff ruschia (Eng.); Skiereiland-kransvygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

The Peninsula cliff ruschia is a mat-forming leaf succulent which becomes pendent on cliffs. It is endemic to the Cape Peninsula, where it grows on sea-facing...

04 / 03 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ruschia spinosa

Common names: thorny vygie, spiny ruschia (Eng.); doringvygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

If one is looking for a striking waterwise plant for a Karoo garden or a desert garden, look no further than this spinescent succulent shrub with beautiful...

18 / 08 / 2014 | Hannelie Snyman | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ruttya fruticosa

Common names: jammy mouth, rabbit ears, bunny ears, hummingbird plant, orange bird, orange dragon, monkey face, African azalea (Eng.), jembekkie (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

An attractive, dense, evergreen shrub with glossy light to dark green leaves, covered with an abundance of red to dark orange or yellow, two-lipped, tubular...

15 / 07 / 2024 | Winfred Velephi Ngwenya | Lowveld NBG

Sagittanthera mzimvubuensis

Common names: Mzimvubu-ruby (Eng.); kransrobyn (Afr.)

Family: Hyacinthaceae

Sagittanthera mzimvubuensis is a geophyte with decorative club-shaped, ruby-green bulb scales and pendent, terete leaves, growing on cliffs along the Mzimvubu...

04 / 01 / 2016 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Salix mucronata

Common names: Safsaf Willow, Cape Willow, (E) Safsaf-wilger, Kaapse Wilger, Wildewilgerboom (A), Munengeledzi (V), Mogokare (NS), Umngcunube (X), Umnyezane, Umzekan

Family: Salicaceae

A graceful tree that withstands both frost and drought....

01 / 01 / 2001 | Y Reynolds | Kirstenbosch NBG

Salpinctium natalense

Common names: none

Family: Acanthaceae

Salpinctium natalense is a lovely and rare herbaceous perennial that is known from only one site in KwaZulu-Natal; it is well suited to cool, shady...

18 / 01 / 2016 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Saltera sarcocolla

Common names: saltera, Cape fellwort, vlieëbos

Family: Penaeaceae

Saltera sarcocolla belongs to the Penaeaceae, which is a family confined to the fynbos region. Despite interesting variations in plant and flower...

28 / 10 / 2013 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Salvia africana

Common names: blue African sage, blue sage, wild sage, African sage, purple sage (Eng.); blousalie, bloublomsalie, Afrikaansesalie, perdesalie, wildesalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Salvia africana is a decorative, aromatic shrub with medicinal properties. Keep it neat and pruned and it will reward you with flowers almost all year...

07 / 01 / 2008 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Salvia africana-caerulea

Common names: blue sage, wild sage, African sage, purple sage (Eng.); blousalie, bloublomsalie, Afrikaansesalie, perdesalie, wildesalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Salvia africana-caerulea is now called Salvia africana....

27 / 02 / 2019 | | Kirstenbosch NBG

Salvia africana-lutea

Common names: golden sage, beach sage, dune sage, sand sage (Eng.); bruinsalie, sandsalie, strandsalie, geelblomsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Salvia africana-lutea is now called Salvia aurea...

27 / 02 / 2019 | | Kirstenbosch NBG

Salvia albicaulis

Common names: white-stemmed sage (Eng.); witstingelsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

A white stemmed shrub for sunny spots, which contrasts well with many other fynbos plants....

07 / 11 / 2011 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Salvia aurea

Common names: golden sage, beach sage, dune sage, sand sage (Eng.); bruinsalie, sandsalie, strandsalie, geelblomsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Salvia aurea is an aromatic hardy shrub with unusually coloured flowers borne over a long period. It is fairly fast-growing, up to 2 m, and very attractive...

15 / 07 / 2002 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

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