Plants of the Week

Faidherbia albida

Common names: ana tree (Eng.); anaboom (Afr.); mogabo (Sepedi); mokosho (Setswana); umHlalankwazi (IsiZulu); muhoto (Venda)

Family: Fabaceae

This relatively drought-resistant tree makes an interesting specimen if planted in a park. It can survive occasional frost (up to 5 days per year)....

20 / 06 / 2005 | Joseph Aobakwe Difoloko | Pretoria NBG

Faurea rochetiana

Common names: broad-leaved boekenhout (Eng.); breëblaarboekenhout (Afr.) ; Mogwapi (North Sotho); siSefo (siSwati); N'wamidzumba (Tsonga); Mutango (tshiVenda)

Family: Proteaceae

At first glance this small tree does not look like a member of the protea family.The broad-leaved boekenhout is a gnarled, deciduous tree of a form one...

07 / 01 / 2008 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Faurea saligna

Common names: willow beechwood, African beech (Eng.); Bosveldboekenhout (Afr.); iSefu, umCalathole (Zulu); isiDwadwa, umOnyeli (Ndebele); mohlako, mongena (Northern

Family: Proteaceae

The willowy shape of Faurea saligna is a graceful feature in large gardens and landscapes, and its resistance to termites is a bonus, especially...

09 / 06 / 2008 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Felicia aethiopica

Common names: wild aster, dwarf Felicia (Eng.); wilde-aster, bloublombossie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

This lovely plant with its bright blue flowers is a must in every garden as it flowers all year, keeping your garden bright and beautiful....

14 / 05 / 2007 | Olivia Pekeur | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Felicia amelloides

Common names: blue felicia bush, shrubby felicia, bush felicia, blue felicia, blue marguerite, blue daisy bush, Paris daisy (Eng.); bloumagriet, blou-astertjie (Afr

Family: Asteraceae

Felicia amelloides catches the eye wherever it is planted, with its striking sky-blue and sunny yellow flowerheads, held well above the leaves. Felicia...

03 / 10 / 2005 | S Smithies | Pretoria NBG

Felicia heterophylla

Common names: true-blue daisy (Eng.); bloublomastertjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

The true blue daisy is one of the few felicias with entirely blue daisy flowers, in contrast to the others with yellow centres surrounded by blue/purple...

26 / 01 / 2004 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria

Felicia dubia

Common names: dwarf felicia (Eng.); saambreeltjies (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

The blue and yellow dwarf felicia is one of the many annuals turning Namaqualand into such a kaleidoscope of colours during winter and spring....

15 / 10 / 2012 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG

Felicia echinata

Common names: dune daisy, prickly felicia (Eng.), bloublommetjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Felicia echinata is easy to recognize by its glossy leaves that are edged with small white teeth and curved to form a sharp tip. This prickly protection...

06 / 08 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Felicia elongata

Common names: Saldanha felicia, tricolour felicia (Eng.), driekleurblommetjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Felicia elongata is a striking perennial daisy, with large white or mauve flowers. What makes this Felicia so different from the other felicias, is the...

10 / 09 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Felicia erigeroides

Common names: wild aster, wild Michaelmas daisy (Eng.); wilde-aster (Afr.); isithelelo, ixhaphozi (Zulu)

Family: Asteraceae

Felicia erigeroides has pretty, daisy-like flowers with yellow centres. The flowers cover the entire bush and bring colour to the garden. It is a good...

06 / 07 / 2009 | Norma Lucas | Kirstenbosch NBG

Felicia filifolia subsp. filifolia

Common names: fine-leaved felicia, needle-leaved felicia, wild aster (Eng.); draaibos (Afr.); sehalahala-seseholo (Southern Sotho)

Family: Asteraceae

When in flower Felicia filifolia is an eye-catching mass of mauve flowers with pretty yellow centres that will create a stunning splash of colour in your...

22 / 11 / 2004 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficinia

Common names: sedges (Eng.); biesies (Afr.); Ficinia radiata : star grass (Eng.) stergras (Afr.)

Family: Cyperaceae

The genus Ficinia of the tribe Scirpeae is remarkable in that almost all of the ± 60 species are endemic to the Cape Floristic Region. Species range...

21 / 05 / 2007 | Caitlin Von Witt | CREW

Ficus abutilifolia

Common names: large-leaved rock fig, rock wild fig (Eng.); grootblaarrotsvy, klipvy (Afr.); inkokhokho, impayi, ubambematsheni (Zulu); momelantsweng (Tswana); tshik

Family: Moraceae

The conspicuous white to yellow roots and stems of the large-leaved rock fig are an impressive sight, well adapted to hugging rock faces and splitting...

18 / 12 / 2006 | Jan-Hakon Burring | Pretoria NBG

Ficus ingens

Common names: red-leaved rock fig (Eng.); rooiblaarvy (Afr.); mohlatsa (North Sotho); motlhatsa (Tswana); tshikululu (Venda); umthombe (Xhosa); umgonswane (Zulu)

Family: Moraceae

The red-leaved fig is a semi-deciduous, shady tree or rock-splitter, and a beautiful specimen for a large rock garden, but because of its aggressive root-...

28 / 11 / 2005 | Marie Jordaan | National Herbarium Pretoria

Ficus lutea

Common names: giant-leaved fig (Eng.); reuseblaarvy (Afr.); umvubu, omkhulu (Zulu); umthombe, uluzi (Xhosa)

Family: Moraceae

The giant-leaved fig is a magnificent member of the renowned fig family. Like so many of its close relatives, it offers much of ecological and ornamental...

15 / 03 / 2004 | Jan-Hakon Burring | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus sansibarica

Common names: Zanzibar fig, knobbly fig, wild fig (Eng.); knoppiesvy (Afr.); Inkokhokho (Swazi); Mohlapu (SN); Nhlampfu (TS); Mutamvu, Muuno, Muvumo, Mudzulatshinya

Family: Moraceae

This knobbly fig presents an imposing display with its spreading crown and bears enormous fruiting spurs along the stem....

19 / 10 / 2009 | Patrick Mtsweni | Lowveld NBG

Ficus sur

Common names: broom cluster fig (Eng.); besem-trosvy (Afr.); mogo-tshetlo (North Sotho); umkhiwane (Xhosa); umkhiwane (Zulu)

Family: Moraceae

The broom cluster fig is a key element in the environment providing medicine, food, shade and shelter for all nature of animals, large and small. This...

10 / 02 / 2003 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu 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

Flueggea virosa

Common names: white berry-bush (Eng.); witbessiesbos (Afr.); Mutangahuma (Tshivenda); Mpfalambati (Tsonga); Muhlakaume (Sotho)

Family: Phyllanthaceae

13 / 10 / 2008 | T Ratshibvumo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Freesia leichtlinii subsp. alba

Common names: white freesia, wild freesia (Eng.); ruikpypie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

With its showy white spring flowers, exquisite perfume and relative ease in cultivation, Freesia leichtlinii subsp. alba is one of the most rewarding Cape...

30 / 08 / 2004 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

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