Plants of the Week

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E.g., 14/12/2024
E.g., 14/12/2024

Protea cynaroides

Protea cynaroides
Common names: King Protea, Giant Protea (Eng.), Reuse Protea, Koningprotea, Grootsuikerroos, Grootsuikerkan, Bergsuikerkan (Afr.), isiQwane esincinci (isiZhosa)
Family: Proteaceae

Surely the best known protea, prized worldwide as a magnificent cut flower and in South Africa honoured as the national flower....

09 / 07 / 2001 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Chasmanthe floribunda 'Duckittii'

Chasmanthe floribunda 'Duckittii'
Common names: yellow cobra lily, yellow chasmanthe, Duckitt chasmanthe (Eng.); geelpiempiempie, geelkapelpypie, geelsuurkanolpypie, geelpypie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Chasmanthe floribunda ''Duckittii' is an attractive deciduous, winter-growing, cormous geophyte with fresh green sword-shaped leaves and spikes...

16 / 07 / 2001 | Jacqueline Esau | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cotyledon barbeyi

Cotyledon barbeyi
Common names: bushveld cotyledon (Eng.); plakkie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

This is an easy to grow succulent plant with attractive shiny red flowers....

16 / 07 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Aloe ferox

Aloe ferox
Common names: bitter aloe, red aloe (English); bitteraalwyn, bergaalwyn (Afrikaans); iNhlaba (Zulu); iKhala (Xhosa)
Family: Asphodelaceae

This is one of the best known South african plants with a long history of medicinal use. An attractive form of Aloe ferox is found in KwaZulu-Natal,...

23 / 07 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Coleonema aspalathoides

Coleonema aspalathoides
Common names: confetti bush
Family: Rutaceae

Coleonema aspalathoides forms a dense upright shrub, 0.5 - 1 m tall. Bright pink, star-shaped flowers, 8-10 mm in diameter, are borne singly but in profusion...

23 / 07 / 2001 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Loxostylis alata

Loxostylis alata
Common names: Wild Pepper Tree, Tarwood, Tigerwood (Eng.), Wildepeperboom, Breekhout, Tederhout, Teerhout, Tierhout (Afr.), Isibara (Zulu), Isibara (Xhosa)
Family: Anacardiaceae

A small, well-shaped tree with glossy foliage tinged with red when young and masses of white flowers in early summer, and if the tree is a female it has...

27 / 07 / 2001 | Robert Archer | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ptaeroxylon obliquum

Ptaeroxylon obliquum. Photo: Pitta Joffe
Common names: Sneezewood, Nieshout, umThathi (Xhosa
Family: Rutaceae

Ptaeroxylon (pronounced 'teroxillon') is a direct Greek translation meaning sneeze and wood; obliquum refers to the oblique leaflets. Umtata in...

27 / 07 / 2001 | Robert Archer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Aloe striata

Aloe striata
Common names: Coral Aloe (English); Blouaalwyn (Afrikaans)
Family: Asphodelaceae

...

30 / 07 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Protea neriifolia

Protea neriifolia
Common names: oleander-leaf protea, narrow-leaf protea (Eng.), baardsuikerbos, baardsuikerkan, blousuikerkan (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Protea neriifolia is an excellent plant for the garden and an outstanding and long lasting cut flower....

30 / 07 / 2001 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Buddleja salviifolia

Buddleja salviifolia
Common names: sagewood, butterfly bush, mountain sage (Eng.); saliehout (Afr.); ewanci, ilotana, igqange (Xhosa); igwangi, iloshane, ilothane, ilotshane, mupambati
Family: Scrophulariaceae

This small tree is deliciously scented in early spring....

06 / 08 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Felicia echinata

Felicia echinata
Common names: dune daisy, prickly felicia (Eng.), bloublommetjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Felicia echinata is easy to recognize by its glossy leaves that are edged with small white teeth and curved to form a sharp tip. This prickly protection...

06 / 08 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica cerinthoides

Erica cerinthoides
Common names: fire erica, fire heath, red hairy heath, rooihaartjie, klipheide
Family: Ericaceae

...

13 / 08 / 2001 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elegia tectorum

Elegia tectorum
Common names: Cape thatching reed, deckreed (Eng.), dakriet, dekriet (Afr.)
Family: Restionaceae

This restio makes a most attractive garden plant, and can be used for thatching....

13 / 08 / 2001 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Clivia miniata

Clivia miniata
Common names: bush lily (Eng.); boslelie (Afr.); umayime (Zulu)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

A striking plant, an international star, with its dark green leaves and trumpet-shaped orange flowers, Clivia miniata  is the ideal plant for the...

20 / 08 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Hermannia saccifera

Hermannia saccifera
Common names: cumin hermannia (Eng.); komynbossie (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

Hermannia saccifera is fairly widespread along the southern coast of South Africa, where it occurs on stony clay slopes from the Riviersonderend mountains...

20 / 08 / 2001 | Bernard Brown | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Acokanthera oppositifolia

Acokanthera oppositifolia
Common names: Bushman's Poison; Boesmansgif (Afrikaans); inHlungunyembe (Zulu); iNtlungunyembe (Xhosa)
Family: Apocynaceae

The Bushman's poison is a medium to large woody shrub with attractive hard dark green leaves. ...

27 / 08 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Veltheimia bracteata

Veltheimia bracteata
Common names: forest lily, forest sand-lily, winter red hot poker (Eng.); sandui, sandlelie (Afr.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Veltheimia bracteata is a beautiful deciduous bulb with a moderate to fast growth rate. The inflorescence is a dense raceme of tubular flowers carried...

27 / 08 / 2001 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erythrina acanthocarpa

Erythrina acanthocarpa
Common names: Tambookie Thorn, Tambuki Thorn (Eng.), Tamboekiedoring, Tamboekiewortel, Wag-'n-Bietjiedoring (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

This is a very attractive shrub with striking red and green flowers....

03 / 09 / 2001 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Schotia brachypetala

Schotia brachypetala in Kirstenbosch NBG.
Common names: weeping boer-bean, tree fuchsia, African walnut (Eng.); huilboerboon (Afr.); umfofofo, umgxam, ishimnumyane (Xhosa), ihluze, umgxamu, uvovovo (Zulu),
Family: Fabaceae

A handsome tree with a wide-spreading, rounded crown, and bright red, nectar-filled flowers in spring and early summer that attract many birds and insects;...

03 / 09 / 2001 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Felicia elongata

Felicia elongata
Common names: Saldanha felicia, tricolour felicia (Eng.), driekleurblommetjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Felicia elongata is a striking perennial daisy, with large white or mauve flowers. What makes this Felicia so different from the other felicias, is the...

10 / 09 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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