Plants of the Week

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E.g., 28/12/2024
E.g., 28/12/2024

Petalidium bracteatum

Petalidium bracteatum in conservatory at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Ruacana petalidium (Eng.); Ruacana rooibekkiebos (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

The Ruacana petalidium is a fast and easily growing shrub with striking dark red tubular flowers which attract sunbirds. As its name implies, it originates...

08 / 03 / 2004 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Petalacte coronata

Leaves and flowers of Petalacte coronata
Common names: paper flower (Eng.); wildesewejaartjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Petalacte coronata produces white flower heads in clusters from June to November. The distribution of the plant seems to influence the length of flowering....

10 / 11 / 2014 | Benjamin Festus | Harold Porter NBG
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Peperomia tetraphylla

Peperomia tetraphylla
Common names: four-leaved peperomia, acorn peperomia (Eng.)
Family: Piperaceae

A low-growing herb with creeping stems forming mats, with small, thick, rounded leaves, typically dark green with lighter stripes, and are excellent at...

31 / 07 / 2023 | Luckyboy Nduli | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Pentzia incana

Pentzia incana
Common names: anchor karoo bush, common karoo bush, good karoo, sheep karoo, sheep bush, sweet karoo (Eng.); alsbossie, alsbos, ankerkaroo, bewerasie, gansie, ganso
Family: Asteraceae

An aromatic and easy-growing perennial suited for the water-wise garden. This grey leaved species is covered in small yellow flowers for about six months...

08 / 05 / 2023 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pentzia dentata

Pentzia dentata
Common names: greater skaapkaroo, duck's-foot skaapkaroo (Eng.) grootskaapkaroo, eendepootkaroo (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A wonderful water-wise, aromatic shrub with soft, grey foliage and clusters of yellow inflorescences, from spring to summer....

21 / 03 / 2016 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pentarrhinum insipidum

Pentarrhinum insipidum
Common names: African heartvine (Eng.), donkieperske, hondepisbossie, opklim, wildekomkommer (Afr.), aulana, furana (Ndebele), umulugwe (Ndebele), leswa (Sotho)
Family: Apocynaceae

The leaves, stems and fruit of Pentarrhinum insipidum are widely eaten throughout Africa. It is an important wild vegetable and has the potential to be...

27 / 10 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | Pretoria NBG
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Pentanisia prunelloides

Pentanisia prunelloides
Common names: wild verbena, broad-leaved Pentanisia (Eng.); sooibrandbossie (Afr.); icimamlilo (Zulu)

This beautiful blue grassland flower, which attracts butterflies, shows great potential as a garden plant. Widespread in southern Africa, and used extensively...

06 / 01 / 2003 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Penaea mucronata

Penaea mucronata
Common names: noughts-and-crosses (Eng.)
Family: Penaeaceae

A resprouting shrub, with branches coppicing from a woody base, triangular leaves and yellow to red flowers in spring and summer; found in fynbos, and...

28 / 06 / 2021 | Kamogelo Solomon Modimola | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Penaea cneorum

Penaea cneorum
Common names: common brickleaf, common noughts-and-crosses, naughty crosses (Eng.)
Family: Penaeaceae

Penaea cneorum is a lanky shrub with leathery foliage and compact spikes of small yellow flowers that rest upon distinctive greenish-yellow bracts and...

11 / 07 / 2022 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Peltophorum africanum

Peltophorum africanum in Kirstenbosch
Common names: Weeping Wattle, African Black Wattle, African Blackwood, African Wattle (E), Boerboon, Boerboontjie, Dopperkehatenhout, Dopperkiaat, Kajatenhout, Rooi
Family: Fabaceae

A semi-deciduous tree with acacia-like foliage and showy yellow flowers, it's also an excellent tree for bee-keepers....

01 / 01 / 2001 | Y Reynolds | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Peltocalathos baurii

Peltocalathos baurii
Common names: Drakensberg buttercup, nasturtium-leaved buttercup, large-leaved ranunculus (Eng.); qojoana (seSotho)
Family: Ranunculaceae

A rarely seen South African relative of the buttercup from high in the Drakensberg Mountains, with rounded fleshy leaves and bright yellow flowers in spring...

05 / 08 / 2024 | Bontle Matetoane | Free State NBG
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Pellaea calomelanos

Pellaea calomelanos
Common names: hard fern (Eng.); inkomankomo (isiZulu); lehorometso (Sotho); legogoana (Tswana)
Family: Pteridaceae

...

04 / 06 / 2012 | Mandisa Kondlo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Pelargonium zonale

Pelargonium zonale
Common names: horse-shoe pelargonium (Eng.); wildemalva (Afr.)
Family: Geraniaceae

The flowers of this strikingly beautiful species range from pure white to rose-pink and all shades of red. Combined with its decorative rounded foliage,...

09 / 12 / 2002 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium xerophyton

Pelargonium xerophyton
Common names: xerophyte pelargonium, desert geranium (Eng.)
Family: Geraniaceae

Pelargonium xerophyton is a hardy succulent with thick stems, twiggy branches, beautiful white flowers and aromatic foliage. Its distinctive growth habit...

17 / 06 / 2024 | Sphephelo Kheswa | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Pelargonium vitifolium

Pelargonium vitifolium shrub
Common names: vine-leaved pelargonium, balm-scented pelargonium
Family: Geraniaceae

This lovely vine leaved shrub that is stunning in full flower, with its balm scent, is ideal for your fragrant garden....

01 / 11 / 2010 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium vanderwaltii

Pelargonium vanderwaltii
Common names: Otjihipa pelargonium (Eng.); Otjihipa malva (Afr.)
Family: Geraniaceae

A rare, cliff-dwelling perennial, known only from sheer, south-facing cliffs of the Otjihipa Mountains in the Kaokoveld of northern Namibia. It is a cliff-squatter,...

29 / 05 / 2017 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium triste

Pelargonium triste flowers
Common names: night-scented pelargonium ( Eng. ); kaneeltjie, rooiwortel (Afr.); wit n/eitjie (Khoi)
Family: Geraniaceae

This night-scented pelargonium, with its attractive carrot-like leaves, makes an interesting addition to collections of Cape plants....

27 / 02 / 2006 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium trifidum

Flowers
Common names: Brittle-stalked pelargonium (Eng.); maklikbreekmalva (Afr.) )
Family: Geraniaceae

This is a large attractive pelargonium with cream to white flowers with maroon markings....

06 / 05 / 2013 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium tricolor

Pelargonium tricolor
Common names: three-colour storksbill, three-colour pelargonium (Eng.); gesiggiemalva (Afr.)
Family: Geraniaceae

A fascinating, low-growing, floriferous shrublet that displays some of the most amazing natural variation of flower colour forms and shapes....

16 / 01 / 2017 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium transvaalense

Pelargonium transvaalense
Common names: Transvaal perlagonium (Eng)
Family: Geraniaceae

This plant has grown in the Lowveld National Botanical Garden happily for many years in both sunny and shady positions....

09 / 05 / 2005 | T Mukoma | Lowveld NBG
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