Plants of the Week

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E.g., 08/12/2024
E.g., 08/12/2024

Polystachya pubescens

Polystachya pubescens
Common names: amabelejongosi (Zulu)
Family: Orchidaceae

This delightful bright yellow, fragrant epiphytic orchid is at home on a tree branch in the forest or on a sandstone rock in the full sun....

01 / 11 / 2004 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Polygala virgata

Polygala virgata
Common names: Purple Broom (Eng.); Persboom, Bloukappie (Afr.); Ea moru (Nd); Hlokoa leleue (Sotho); Ithethe (Z)
Family: Polygalaceae

This charming slender shrub, bearing spikes of bright purple magenta winged flowers is an eye-catcher in any garden. Polygala virgata is one of the beautiful...

20 / 12 / 2004 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Polygala myrtifolia

Polygala myrtifolia
Common names: september bush (Eng.); septemberbossie, augustusbossie, blouertjie, langelede (Afr.); ulopesi, ulapesi, umabalabala (Xho.); uchwasha (Zul.)
Family: Polygalaceae

Polygala myrtifolia is a common, widespread pioneer shrub with pretty mauve flowers on and off throughout the year with a peak in spring, hence the names...

29 / 09 / 2003 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Polygala gazensis

Polygala gazensis
Common names: Gazaland butterfly bush, Gazaland milkwort (Eng.)
Family: Polygalaceae

Polygala gazensis is one of the lesser known polygalas, with an unusual yellow-bronzed tinge to the green foliage that is eye-catching in the garden, particularly...

28 / 09 / 2020 | Zoleka May | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Polygala fruticosa 'Southern Shores'

P.fruticosa 'Southern Shores'
Common names: 'Southern Shores' butterfly bush, heart-leaf polygala (Eng.); 'Southern Shores' ertjieblom (Afr.); ulopesi, ulapesi, umabalabala (Xho.); ithethe (Zul.
Family: Polygalaceae

Many people are familiar with the hardy coastal shrub, Polygala myrtifolia which is useful addition to indigenous gardens. Kirstenbosch staff...

04 / 11 / 2002 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Polhillia ignota

Polhillia ignota
Common names: due to the rarity of this species, there are no common names recorded for it.
Family: Fabaceae

Only known from two records made over 80 years ago, this lost species was recently rediscovered by the Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW)....

14 / 11 / 2016 | Ismail Ebrahim | CREW
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Pogonarthria squarrosa

Herringbone grass
Common names: herringbone grass, sickle grass
Family: Poaceae

Pogonarthria squarrosa is a loosely tufted grass with interesting, reddish-brown inflorescences which have led to its common name, herringbone...

11 / 07 / 2005 | L Fish | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Podranea ricasoliana

Podranea ricasoliana
Common names: Port St Johns creeper, pink trumpet vine (Eng.); Port St Johns klimop (Afr.)
Family: Bignoniaceae

...

11 / 02 / 2002 | Christien Malan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Podocarpus latifolius

Podocarpus latifolius
Common names: real yellowwood ( Eng. ); opregte geelhout (Afr.); umkhomba (Xhosa); mogobagoba (Northern Sotho); muhovho-hovho ( Venda ); umsonti (Zulu)
Family: Podocarpaceae

The real yellowwood is one of South Africa 's most valued timber trees. It is also South Africa 's National Tree....

17 / 10 / 2005 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Podocarpus henkelii

20 years old specimen in Kirstenbosch NBG
Common names: Henkel's Yellowwood (Eng), Henkel-se geelhout (Afr), UmSonti (Zulu)
Family: Podocarpaceae

This is one of the most beautiful and decorative of our indigenous conifers, a tree that any plant enthusiast would be proud to have in their garden. With...

13 / 05 / 2002 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Podocarpus falcatus

Common names: Outeniqua yellowwood (English), Outeniekwageelhout (Afrikaans) mogôbagôba (Northern Sotho), umsonti (Zulu).
Family: Podocarpaceae

See Afrocarpus falcatus....

14 / 04 / 2020 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Podocarpus elongatus

Large tree at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Breede River Yellowwood ( Eng. ), Breeriviergeelhout, westelike geelhout (Afr.)
Family: Podocarpaceae

Many visitors to Kirstenbosch, remember the huge tree on the main lawn whose crown reached down to the ground and created a magical private sanctuary for...

24 / 01 / 2005 | Christien Malan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Podalyria sericea

Podalyria sericea
Common names: silver sweet pea bush, silky podalyria, cape satin bush ( Eng. ); silwer keurtjie (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

...

17 / 09 / 2007 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Podalyria calyptrata

Podalyria calyptrata
Common names: sweetpea bush, large pink keurtjie, water blossom-pea (Eng.); keur, keurtjie, keurblom, ertjiebos, waterkeurtjie (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

There are few shrubs to beat Podalyria calyptrata , with its attractive, glossy, silvery foliage and masses of sweet-scented mauve-pink sweetpea-like...

01 / 11 / 2004 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Podalyria buxifolia

Flower
Common names: box-leaf bush-sweetpea (Eng.); keurtjie (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

Podalyria buxifolia is a delicately beautiful shrub from the southern Cape mountains. It has attractive, dark-green, glossy leaves and the most exquisite...

16 / 06 / 2014 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Podalyria burchellii

Podalyria burchellii
Common names: hairy blossom-pea, hairy Cape sweetpea (Eng.); keurtjie (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

Hairy blossom-pea, as the name says, is covered with fine white hairs, from leaves to stem and fruits, making it hard to ignore this shrub even from a...

16 / 11 / 2020 | Sibahle Gumede | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Plumbago zeylanica

Plumbago zeylanica
Common names: wild white leadwort, Ceylon plumbago (Eng.); swartwaterbossie (Afr.)
Family: Plumbaginaceae

Plumbago zeylanica is a gorgeous, eye-catching shrub that adds intrigue into any garden; it is covered with pretty trusses of small white or rarely pale...

28 / 12 / 2020 | Keenan Williams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Plumbago wissii

Plumbago wissii flowers
Common names: Brandberg plumbago
Family: Plumbaginaceae

Plumbago wissii is a rare endemic of the Brandberg in northern Namibia. It is an attractive shrub growing to about 1.5 m in diameter and to about...

12 / 06 / 2006 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Plumbago auriculata

Plumbago auriculata
Common names: Cape leadwort, plumbago (English); blousyselbos (Afrikaans); umabophe (Xhosa/ Zulu); umasheleshele (Zulu)
Family: Plumbaginaceae

Plumbago is an extremely reliable, resilient plant which has been popular for home gardens as well as for commercial landscapes for many years. Plumbago...

10 / 12 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Pleiospilos nelii

Pleiospilos nelii
Common names: split rocks (Eng.); kwaggavy(-gie) (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Pleiospilos nelii is an intriguing little succulent and one of the best examples of mimicry....

09 / 05 / 2011 | Lize Wolfaardt | Karoo Desert NBG
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