Plants of the Week

Plectranthus

Family: Lamiaceae

Plectranthus is the largest South African genus in the mint family (Lamiaceae), with 44 species natural to our region, most of which occur on the...

09 / 04 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Aerva leucura

Common names: aambeibossie

Family: Amaranthaceae

It is not the size of the flowers, but rather the reliable show Aerva leucura gives in the herbaceous border from summer to autumn, that makes this a worthwhile...

09 / 04 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Dissotis canescens

Common names: pink wild tibouchina, pink marsh dissotis, ordeal bean (Eng); kalverbossie (Afr); imfeyesele (Zulu)

Family: Melastomataceae

This pretty shrub looks remarkably like a dwarf version of the related South American tibouchina trees (Tibouchina spp.) which are grown in the more...

02 / 04 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Plectranthus ecklonii

Common names: tall spurflower, Ecklon's plectranthus (Eng.); groot spoorsalie, Ecklon spoorsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

A fast-growing shrubby perennial with showy spikes of pink, blue or white flowers in autumn, ideal for shade or semi-shade....

26 / 03 / 2001 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe cooperi

Common names: Cooper's Aloe (Eng.); isiPutumane, isiPhukutwane (isiZulu)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe cooperi is a southern African grassland aloe....

26 / 03 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Barleria greenii

Common names: wild bush petunia, Green's barleria

Family: Acanthaceae

A beautiful shrub with large pink to white, night-scented flowers in summer....

19 / 03 / 2001 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG

Amaryllis belladonna

Common names: belladonna lily, March lily, naked lady (Eng.); Maartblom, Maartlelie, belladonnalelie (Afr.)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

The flowering stems of this bulb emerging from the bare ground is a sign that summer is coming to an end in the Cape....

12 / 03 / 2001 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe reitzii var. reitzii

Common names: Reitz' aloe

Family: Asphodelaceae

Although it is a rather rare species of aloe, it is easily distinguished by the handsome erect red flower spikes that are produced in summer (unlike most...

12 / 03 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Cunonia capensis

Common names: red alder, butterspoon tree (English); rooiels (Afrikaans); umqwashube (Xhosa); umlulama (Zulu)

Family: Cunoniaceae

Cunonia capensis is a beautiful evergreen garden tree which attracts insects to its flowers....

05 / 03 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Ceratotheca triloba

Common names: wild foxglove, African foxglove, false foxglove (Eng.); vingerhoedblom, wildevingerhoedjie (Afr.); ludvonca, udonqa (SiSwati); udonqa, undoncalwabathw

Family: Pedaliaceae

Ceratotheca triloba is now known as Sesamum trilobum...

05 / 03 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Strelitzia reginae

Common names: crane flower, bird of paradise, orange strelitzia (Eng.); isigude (Nguni); kraanvoëlblom (Afr.)

Family: Strelitziaceae

Strelitzia reginae is one the most popular horticultural perennials around the world. It flowers for long periods with its vivid orange and bright...

26 / 02 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Scadoxus multiflorus subsp. katharinae

Common names: fireball lily, blood flower, katharine wheel, poison root (Eng.); bloedblom, gifwortel (Afr.); inkupulwane (isiXhosa); idunjana, ubukhoswane (isiZulu)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

This plant explodes into flower, producing huge orange-red flower balls in mid to late summer, it's a plant for semi-shade or shade in well-watered,...

26 / 02 / 2001 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Indigofera jucunda

Common names: river indigo, showy indigo (Eng.), rivierverfbos, pronkverfbos (Afr.), umsipane (Xhosa), umnukambiba, isiphungo (Zulu)

Family: Fabaceae

This beautiful plant has had the misfortune of being known by an incorrect name for many years, resulting in some confusion about its identity. But whether...

19 / 02 / 2001 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Indigofera frutescens

This plant has rose to purple flowers in lax racemes and bluish green leaves. It forms a stout, leafy shrub up to 2 m tall. It comes...

19 / 02 / 2001 | | Kirstenbosch NBG

Agapanthus inapertus

Common names: Drakensberg agapanthus, drooping agapanthus (E), bloulelie (A), hlakahla (Sw)

Family: Agapanthaceae

The drooping agapanthus is an attractive, tuberous plant which occurs naturally in open grassland and on forest margins. ...

19 / 02 / 2001 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG

Disa uniflora

Common names: pride of Table Mountain, red disa (Eng.), rooidisa (Afr.)

Family: Orchidaceae

This famous red orchid, emblem of the Western Cape, is strictly protected....

12 / 02 / 2001 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Bauhinia galpinii

Common names: Pride of De Kaap (Eng); Vlam-van-die-Vlakte (Afr).

Family: Fabaceae

With attractive brick red flowers from December onwards this scrambling shrub is a summer delight in many gardens....

12 / 02 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Protea caffra

Common names: sugar bush (English); gewone suikerbos (Afrikaans); isiQalaba (Zulu, Xhosa)

Family: Proteaceae

The common sugar bush is one of three proteas which occur in the Witwatersrand area. ...

05 / 02 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Crassula coccinea

Common names: red crassula (Eng.), klipblom, suikerblom (Afr.)

Family: Crassulaceae

When hiking up Table Mountain in midsummer to find the red disa, Disa uniflora, in flower, one is sure to also see the brilliant red crassula, Crassula...

05 / 02 / 2001 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Streptocarpus formosus

Streptocarpus in the Avenue at Kirstenbosch

Common names: Pondo streptocarpus

Family: Gesneriaceae

Walking down the Camphor Avenue at Kirstenbosch, one can not but stop to admire the clumps of Streptocarpus formosus flowering on the ground. Formosus...

29 / 01 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

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