Plants of the Week

Moraea polystachya

Common names: bloutulp, kraai-uintjie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Pretty but dangerous (to live-stock, that is)! In a good year, usually in autumn, the large, deep blue to violet or occasionally white, iris-like flowers...

12 / 06 / 2006 | Clare Archer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Plumbago wissii

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

Moraea polystachya

Common names: blue moraea, blue tulp, poison moraea (Eng.); bloutulp, kraai-uintjie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Pretty but dangerous - to live-stock, that is! In a good year, usually in autumn, the large, deep blue to violet or occasionally white, iris-like flowers...

12 / 06 / 2006 | Clare Archer | Pretoria NBG

Leucadendron spissifolium subsp. oribinum

Common names: Oribi spear-leaved conebush ( Eng. ); Oribigeelbos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

This rare Leucadendron (conebush) is found at the Oribi Gorge near Port Shepstone, far from the Western Cape where most Leucadendron species...

05 / 06 / 2006 | Wendy Foden | TSP

Freylinia vlokii

Common names: Rooiberg bell-bush, Karoo bell-bush (Eng.); Karoo klokkiesbos (Afr.)

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Freylinia vlokii is a shrub bearing beautiful tubular mauve flowers and is an ideal plant for dry fynbos gardens....

05 / 06 / 2006 | Freddie Bosman | Kirstenbosch NBG

Colpoon compressum

Common names: Cape sumach, coast tannin bush (Eng.); wildepruim, wurgbessie, basbessie, kuslooibas, namtarri (Afr.); mtekaaza, umbalanythi (Xhosa); umbulanyathi (Zu

Family: Santalaceae

Colpoon compressum, is a very decorative and useful plant in cultivation as well as in its natural habitat. It is a hemi-parasitic plant, in...

29 / 05 / 2006 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Osyris compressa

Common names: Cape sumach, coastal tannin bush ( Eng.); wildepruim, wurgbessie, basbessie, kuslooibas (Afr.); mtekaaza, umbalanythi (Xhosa); umbulanyathi (Zulu)

Family: Santalaceae

This plant is now called Colpoon compressum ...

29 / 05 / 2006 | | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gerbera ambigua

Common names: pink and white gerbera (E), botterblom, Griekwateebossie (A), moarubetso (SS), ucabazane (Z).

Family: Asteraceae

...

29 / 05 / 2006 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Gerbera viridifolia

Common names: blushing barberton daisy (Eng.); griquateebossie (Afr.); iyeza lamazi (isiXhosa)

Family: Asteraceae

Gerbera viridifolia produces beautiful cream, mauve or purple daisies for most of the year. It is one of the parents of today's popular florist Gerbera...

22 / 05 / 2006 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Erepsia lacera

Common names: Paarl roosvygie

Family: Aizoaceae

Erepsia lacera is an erect shrublet with succulent leaves and somewhat rose-like flowers. It belongs to the mesemb family (Mesembryanthemaceae), flowers...

22 / 05 / 2006 | Van Jaarsveld I | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gladiolus oppositiflorus

Common names: Transkei gladiolus, salmon gladiolus

Family: Iridaceae

Gladioli are popular garden plants, cultivated in Europe for more than 250 years and renowned for their striking, colourful flowers. But did you know that...

15 / 05 / 2006 | Lize Agenbag | Pretoria NBG

Encephalartos trispinosus

Common names: Bushman`s River cycad

Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos trispinosus is an excellent garden subject in hot, dry climates and areas which experience frost. The plants do not require a great deal...

15 / 05 / 2006 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG

Thamnochortus bachmannii

Common names: Namaqua thatching reed, steenbok reed (Eng.); steenboksriet (Afr.)

Family: Restionaceae

Eye-catching bronze-brown flowerheads nod in the breeze as the sun sets over the distant mountains-they capture the rays and turn them into a fire dance....

08 / 05 / 2006 | Monique Twine | Kirstenbosch NBG

Monodora junodii

Common names: green-apple (Eng.); groenappel (Afr.); ndzivila (xiTsonga); umKotshi (isiZulu)

Family: Annonaceae

Imagine a tree with a flower like an orchid bloom; one so unusual that next to nothing is known about how to grow it. Would this not be a major garden...

08 / 05 / 2006 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Gasteria pillansii

Common names: Namaqua gasteria (Eng.); Namakwa-beestong (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria pillansii is the only true winter rainfall species of the genus. It is easily grown in containers in a shady spot, but has to be kept dry...

01 / 05 / 2006 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Craibia zimmermannii

Common names: sandforest craibia, peawood (Eng.); sandertjiehout (Afr.); umBambalwenyoka, umPhungwane (isiZulu) SA National Tree List no.: 229

Family: Fabaceae

Are you looking for an unusual smallish tree with spectacular flowers for that special place in a small, warm garden? Look no further: Craibia zimmermannii...

01 / 05 / 2006 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Indigofera natalensis

Common names: forest indigo (Eng.); bos-verfbos (Afr.); umsitshane (IsiXhosa); insiphane encane (IsiZulu)

Family: Fabaceae

Indigofera natalensis is a delicate and attractive shade-loving tree with dainty white sprays of flowers in summer, followed by slender, reddish brown...

24 / 04 / 2006 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus trichopoda

Fruits of F. trichopoda.Copyright Geoff Nichols

Common names: swamp fig, hippo fig (Eng.); moerasvy (Afr.); umvubu (isiZulu); alufubu (Xitsonga)

Family: Moraceae

The swamp or hippo fig is the only indigenous fig species in the southern African region whose aerial roots develop into new stems like the banyan, Ficus...

17 / 04 / 2006 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG