Plants of the Week

Gyrocarpus americanus subsp. africanus

Common names: propeller tree, helicopter tree (Eng.); helikopterboom (Afr.); mutama, mudzoudzhou (Tshivenda).

Family: Hernandiaceae

An interesting tree with a smooth, grey to silvery white trunk, and ovoid fruit crowned with 2 wings, which look remarkably like the slender wings of a...

20 / 08 / 2018 | Matome Leboho | Pretoria NBG

Gymnosporia senegalensis

Common names: red spikethorn, confetti spikethorn (Eng.); bloupendoring, rooipendoring (Afr.); sephatho, mophatho (Sepedi); sihlangu lesimhlophe (siSwati); ubuhlang

Family: Celastraceae

A bright, white-flowered, sweet-scented indigenous shrub, often with wine-red branches. Its roots and leaves are used in traditional medicine to treat...

25 / 01 / 2021 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Gymnosporia harveyana

Common names: black forest spikethorn (Eng.); swartbospendoring (Afr.)

Family: Celastraceae

This is an evergreen, dense, spiny shrub or small tree, with lovely shiny foliage and small white-and-red fruits. It is suitable for small gardens as a...

14 / 06 / 2004 | M Jordan | National Herbarium Pretoria

Gymnosporia buxifolia

Common names: spikethorn, common spikethorn, stinking spike-thorn (Eng.); gewone pendoring, pendoring, stinkdoring, lemoendoring (Afr.); ingqwangane, ubangalala, us

Family: Celastraceae

Gymnosporia buxifolia is a very showy plant when in flower and can grow into an interesting and shapely small tree over time. It can be pruned to form...

30 / 11 / 2015 | Sameer Khan | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Gymnanthemum myrianthum

Common names: blue bitter-tea, eared bitter-tea, blue vernonia, eared vernonia, poison tree-vernonia, wild lilac (Eng.); bloubittertee, bosbloutee (Afr.); uhluhlung

Family: Asteraceae

An unusual, striking, robust shrub or small tree that is suddenly beautiful when in flower in late autumn, with eye-catching clumps of mauve to white to...

05 / 12 / 2016 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gymnanthemum corymbosum

Common names: mountain bitter-tea, mountain vernonia (Eng.); uhlunguhlungu (Zulu)

Family: Asteraceae

Gymnanthemum corymbosum is an attractive, fast-growing shrub, with interesting purple and white, daisy flowers in late summer and autumn, followed by fluffy...

03 / 07 / 2017 | Anthony R. Magee | Compton Herbarium

Gunnera perpensa

Common names: river pumpkin, wild rhubarb (Eng.); rivierpampoen, wilde ramenas (Afr.); qobo (Sotho); uqobho (Swati); rambola-vhadzimu, shambola-vhadzimu (Venda); ip

Family: Gunneraceae

Is this what the dinosaurs ate? Read on to find out.The genus Gunnera has numerous unique characteristics, some of which indicate that these plants have...

19 / 12 / 2005 | R Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Grona setigera

Common names: bristly tick-clover (Eng.); pomo, pomσ (Mende, Sierra Leone)

Family: Fabaceae

Grona setigera, commonly known as bristly tick-clover, is a beautiful legume that grows close to the ground, with remarkable, beautiful, colourful flowers...

13 / 11 / 2023 | Mbali Mkhize | National Herbarium Pretoria

Greyia sutherlandii

Common names: glossy bottlebrush, mountain bottlebrush, Natal bottlebrush, wild bottlebrush, beacon tree (Eng.); blinkblaarbaakhout, Natalse baakhout (Afr.); isidw

Family: Melianthaceae

This is a most decorative plant and is becoming popular as an ornamental subject in gardens....

02 / 10 / 2006 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Greyia radlkoferi

Common names: woolly bottlebrush, Transvaal bottlebrush, wild bottlebrush (Eng.); wollerige baakhout (Afr.); isidwadwa (Zulu); inhlazane, indlebelembila (Swazi)

Family: Melianthaceae

The gnarled branches of Greyia radlkoferi make this small tree or shrub an attractive structural element for any garden. In nature, growing in misty gullies...

11 / 10 / 2004 | De La Cruz P | Kirstenbosch NBG

Greyia flanaganii

Common names: Kei bottlebrush (E), Kei baakhout (A), uSinga lwamaxhegokazi (X).

Family: Melianthaceae

Greyia flanaganii has great horticultural potential as a spring flowering shrub that is yet to be fully explored by growers and gardeners. This tree...

14 / 10 / 2002 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Greyia

Common names: wild bottlebrushes

Family: Melianthaceae

This family occurs only in South Africa, and consists of a single genus, Greyia Hook. & Harv. with 3 species, all small trees or shrubs. The...

20 / 09 / 2010 | F Nonyane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Grewia rogersii

Common names: Waterberg raisin (Eng.); Waterberg-rosyntjie (Afr.); mulembu (Tshivenda)

Family: Malvaceae

The Waterberg raisin is a bushy shrub with attractive dark green and whitish bicoloured foliage, star shaped yellow flowers in summer and 4-lobed berry-like...

13 / 05 / 2024 | Sithembile Ndlovu | National Herbarium Pretoria

Grewia robusta

Common names: Karoo crossberry, Karoo crossberry raisin (Eng.); karookruisbessie (Afr); umnqabaza (Xhosa).

Family: Malvaceae

The sweetly scented Grewia robusta has beautiful, bright pink flowers. It is a frost-resistant, hardy shrub or small tree that is adaptable to...

24 / 12 / 2012 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Grewia retinervis

Common names: Kalahari raisin, false sandpaper raisin, Kalahari donkey berry, Kalahari grewia, Kalahari raisin bush, kalahari-sand grewia, kalahari sand raisin (Eng

Family: Malvaceae

Grewia retinervis is a hardy shrub with bright yellow flowers in summer and shiny, reddish brown edible fruits....

18 / 03 / 2019 | Cathbert Makgakga | National Herbarium Pretoria

Grewia occidentalis

Common names: cross-berry, four-corners (E), kruisbessie (A), Mokukutu (Setsw.), Mogwane (N.Sotho), iLalanyathi (Zulu), umSipane (Siswati), umNqabaza (Xhosa), Mulem

Family: Malvaceae

This attractive indigenous shrub has a wide natural distribution....

19 / 11 / 2001 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG

Grewia monticola

Common names: grey raisin, silver raisin (Eng.); vaalrosyntjie (Afr.); umsiphane (Swazi); nsihana (Tsonga); mogwanakg & ocirc;mo, mogwana (Tswana); umlalampunzi, is

Family: Malvaceae

The mountain-loving Grewia monticola has beautiful, bright yellow flowers. It is a frost-resistant, hardy shrub or small tree that is adaptable to all...

26 / 11 / 2012 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Grewia microthyrsa

Common names: sand raisin (Eng.), sandrosyntjie (Afr.), mufuka (Tshivenda), nsihana (Xitsonga), umunywane, ilalanyathi, ikolo (isiZulu).

Family: Malvaceae

An indigenous shrub with edible fruit and attractive flowers....

30 / 10 / 2023 | Nompumelelo Nkosi | Pretoria NBG

Grewia lasiocarpa

Common names: forest raisin (Eng.); bosrosyntjie (Afr.); umhlolo (Xhosa); ilalanyathi (Zulu)

Family: Malvaceae

Grewia lasiocarpa is a wonderful fast-growing small tree, ideal for use as a screen, with lovely large, star-shaped pink flowers and fruit that is...

11 / 06 / 2007 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Grewia hexamita

Common names: giant raisin (Eng.); reuserosyntjie, blinkblaarrosyntjie (Afr.); umsiphane (Swazi); nsihana, guguna, nsihani, sipane (Tsonga); mukunukunu (Venda); uml

Family: Malvaceae

The glossy dark green leafed Grewia hexamita has beautiful large, yellow, honey-scented flowers. It is a frost-resistant, hardy shrub or small...

20 / 08 / 2012 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

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