Plants of the Week

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

Hessea mathewsii

Flowering in  habitat
Common names: hessea
Family: Amaryllidaceae

The ethereal umbrella of star-shaped flowers fluttering in the wind, is the ‘stuff fairytales are made of’! Although, quite small, Hessea mathewsii,...

16 / 03 / 2015 | Brittany Arendse | CREW
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Hessea speciosa

Hessea speciosa
Common names: coconut umbrella lily (Eng.); sambreeltjies (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

A striking, small, bulbous plant with rounded heads of white or pink, coconut scented flowers in autumn, found in southern Namibia and the Northern Cape...

31 / 05 / 2021 | Bhongolethu Mtengwana | TSP
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Heterolepis aliena

Heterolepis aliena
Common names: rock daisy (Eng.); rotsgousblom (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

When walking through the Mathews Rockery in Kirstenbosch during early summer, it is impossible to miss Heterolepis aliena. It is quite dazzling, covered...

17 / 11 / 2003 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Heteromorpha arborescens

Heteromorpha arborescens
Common names: parsley tree (Eng.); wildepietersielie, pietersieliebos (Afr.), umbangadlala (Zul.), umbangadlala, umbangandlatho, umbangeza, iyeza-lempambano (Xho.)
Family: Apiaceae

This small to medium-sized, deciduous tree or straggly shrub is suitable for a small, low-maintenance garden. The bark often helps to distinguish it from...

13 / 10 / 2003 | Shireen Harris | Free State NBG
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Heteropogon contortus

Heteropogon contortus (L.Fish).
Common names: tanglehead, spear grass (Eng.); pylgras, assegaaigras (Afr.); isitupe (IsiZulu); makurwane (Setswana); selokana, seloka (Sesotho)
Family: Poaceae

A hardy grass that is very attractive and palatable in the early vegetative stages, but becomes less attractive and unpalatable as it matures....

15 / 05 / 2017 | Cynthia Mikateko Baloyi | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Heteropyxis canescens

Heteropyxis canescens
Common names: forest lavender tree (Eng.); boslaventelboom (Afr.); inkunzana (Siswati)
Family: Heteropyxidaceae

The forest lavender tree is an evergreen to semi-deciduous, attractive small tree. It deserves to be utilised more in gardens and landscapes, due to its...

20 / 10 / 2014 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Heteropyxis natalensis

Heteropyxis natalensis
Common names: Lavender Tree, Laventelboom (A), iNkunzi (Z)
Family: Heteropyxidaceae

This is an attractive small tree suitable for townhouse gardens....

24 / 06 / 2002 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Hexalobus monopetalus

Ripe fruit of Hexalobus monopetalus
Common names: shakama plum, baboon’s breakfast, wild custard apple (Eng.), bastersuikerappel, shakamapruim (Afr.), muhuhuma (Tshivenda), moheteka, mowedika (North
Family: Annonaceae

...

18 / 09 / 2023 | Sithi Ngamlana | Pretoria NBG
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Heywoodia lucens

Heywoodia lucens, looking up the trunk into the canopy. (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: stink-ebony, Cape-ebony, foetid-ebony, black-ebony (Eng.); stinkebbehout, swartebbehout (Afr.); umnebelele (Xho.); umnebelele, ibeyana (Zul.)
Family: Phyllanthaceae

Cape-ebony or stink-ebony as it is also known, is a tall, evergreen tree and the only species in the genus Heywoodia; it is usually found growing in coastal,...

12 / 03 / 2018 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Hibiscus calyphyllus

Flower
Common names: hibiscus, sun hibiscus, lemon-yellow rosemallow (Eng.); wildestokroos (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

This perennial shrub with its striking, large, lemon-yellow flowers and velvety leaves is perfect as an informal border or as a centrepiece in a small...

25 / 02 / 2008 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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Hibiscus coddii

Hibiscus coddii
Common names: Codd’s red hibiscus (Eng.); bokgobakataba (Sepedi)
Family: Malvaceae

An upright shrubby perennial with attractive, bright red flowers in autumn; it is a decorative garden ornamental or container plant in full sun or partial...

14 / 09 / 2020 | Fergy Nkadimeng | Pretoria NBG
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Hibiscus pedunculatus

Hibiscus pedunculatus flower
Common names: pink mallow, forest pink hibiscus (Eng.); wildestokroos, pienk hibiskus (Afr.); indola ebomvu (Zulu)
Family: Malvaceae

A delicate, delightful, indigenous hibiscus, with bright pink flowers on dainty stalks....

12 / 07 / 2010 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Hibiscus praeteritus

Hibiscus praeteritus
Common names: None
Family: Malvaceae

The colourful, floriferous and water-wise Hibiscus praeteritus is a spectacular shrub worthy of a special place in your garden....

20 / 07 / 2009 | Roger Oliver | Pretoria NBG
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Hibiscus tiliaceus

Hibiscus tiliaceus flower Image Geoff Nichols
Common names: wild cotton tree, coast hibiscus, lagoon hibiscus, tree hibiscus (Eng.); wildekatoenboom, kusvuurblom (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

Hibiscus tiliaceus is the only Hibiscus species which really becomes a small tree. It belongs to a family that is unmistakable when in flower, the cotton...

22 / 04 / 2013 | Nonkululo Phephu | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Hilliardiella aristata

Hilliardiella aristata  with Acraea horta
Common names: silver vernonia (E), ihlambihloshana, isibhaha sasenkangala, umlahlankosi-omhlophe, ileleva (Z)
Family: Asteraceae

Beautiful silky silver leaves and dark mauve-purple flowers in early summer, Hilliardiella aristata is an eye-catching plant for the sunny garden....

12 / 12 / 2005 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Hilliardiella hirsuta

Hilliardiella hirsuta
Common names: Quilted-leaved Vernonia (E), Wildesonsoekertjie (A), ikhambi lenyongo (Z)
Family: Asteraceae

The striking deep purple flowers and silvery quilted leaves of Hilliardiella hirsuta make it a very desirable plant for an indigenous summer border. ...

13 / 01 / 2003 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Hilliardiella oligocephala

Vernonia oligocephala flowers
Common names: bicoloured-leaved vernonia (Eng.); groenamarabossie (Afr.); Ihlambihloshane (Zulu)
Family: Asteraceae

Hilliardiella oligocephala is an attractive perennial with bicolored leaves and attractive bright purple flowers. It is the most common silver-leafed species...

14 / 09 / 2009 | N Mankazana | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Hippia frutescens

Corymb of flowers. Image N van Berkel
Common names: scrambling wormwood (Eng.); rankals, kanferbossie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This is a good plant for moist gardens and also has a traditional medicinal use....

12 / 05 / 2014 | B Busch | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Hippobromus pauciflorus

Hippobromus pauciflorus
Common names: false horsewood, bastard horsewood (Eng.); valsperdepis, basterperdepis boom, basterperdepis (Afr.); isiphahluka, uqhume, umnungumabele, umfazothethay
Family: Sapindaceae

A small to medium sized, attractive, fast-growing tree with a dense rounded crown of shiny, aromatic leaves, clusters of small creamy white, scented flowers...

08 / 01 / 2024 | Winfred Velephi Ngwenya | Lowveld NBG
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Holothrix randii

Holothrix randii
Common names: tassel orchid (Eng.)
Family: Orchidaceae

This orchid is easier to spot among the grasses in the morning, because the flowers look shiny and silver from a distance. A closer look at the front of...

11 / 01 / 2021 | Fergy Nkadimeng | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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