Plants of the Week

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E.g., 31/12/2024
E.g., 31/12/2024

Euryops virgineus

Euryops virgineus
Common names: honey euryops, river resin bush (Eng.); rivierharpuisbos, heuningmagriet (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Many collectors of South African plants have raved about this attractive plant, and J.D. Keet, who collected a specimen as early as 1918 in the Knysna...

05 / 01 / 2004 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Euryops wageneri

Euryops wageneri flowers
Common names: Wagener's resin bush (Eng.); Wagener se harpuisbos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Anyone who has seen this species will agree that this is probably one of the most magnificent of all the Euryops species. It has the same visual impact...

03 / 01 / 2005 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Euryops ‘Silver Sunshine’

Euryops 'Silver Sunshine'
Common names: ‘Silver Sunshine’ resin bush (Eng.); ‘Silver Sunshine’ harpuisbos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This Euryops hybrid was discovered in full bloom in Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, much to the delight of the horticulturists, as it is a beautiful,...

01 / 01 / 2018 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Fabronia pilifera

Fabronia pilifera growing on the bark of a tree in the Pretoria National Botanical Garden.
Common names: hairy fabronia
Family: Fabroniaceae

This delicate epiphytic moss is frequently encountered in woodlands or savanna areas of South Africa....

04 / 01 / 2016 | Jacques van Rooy | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Faidherbia albida

Flowers and leaves
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
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Falkia repens

Flower: Image Paul Linder ©
Common names: white carpet, African morning glory, creeping falkia, oortjies (Afr.)
Family: Convolvulaceae

This is an intriguing, fast-growing groundcover with lovely eye-catching white flowers that provides a carpet-like look upon first entering your yard or...

30 / 06 / 2014 | Z Nkabinde | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Family: Montiniaceae

Montinia male flowers
Common names: wild-clove family
Family: Montiniaceae

Members of the family are shrubs, trees or woody lianes, characterised by simple, alternate or opposite leaves with entire margins, sexes on separate plants,...

11 / 10 / 2010 | Elizabeth Retief | Pretoria NBG
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Fanninia caloglossa

Fanninia caloglossa inflorescence showing the intriguing flowers (Photo Cameron McMaster)
Common names: Fannin’s beauty
Family: Apocynaceae

This monotypic genus (containing only one species) and despite its small stature, is very pretty. It was mentioned by the well-known botanist N.E. Brown,...

16 / 01 / 2017 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Faucaria subintegra

Faucaria subintegra
Common names: Tyolomnqa tiger-jaw (Eng.); tierbekvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Faucaria subintegra’s innocuous teeth makes it a wonderful and unusual member of the genus, with a dense, clump-forming habit giving almost a knobby...

13 / 06 / 2022 | Nomfusi Ntsobi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Faucaria tigrina

Faucaria tigrina -tiger jaw
Common names: tiger-jaws, shark-jaws (Eng.); tierbekvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

This somewhat ferocious-looking succulent gets its name, tiger-jaws, from the appearance of the toothed, triangular shaped leaves which seem to drip with...

04 / 08 / 2014 | Sarah-Leigh Hutchinson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Faurea galpinii

Faurea galpinii, seedhead
Common names: forest beechwood, escarpment beechwood, bush-beech, forest-beech (Eng.); bosboekenhout, platorandboekenhout, rooiboekenhout (Afr.); sisefo (siSwati);
Family: Proteaceae

The forest beechwood is a small, evergreen tree which can at times occur as a shrub. This species is confined to high-altitude mist-belt areas in mountainous...

02 / 11 / 2015 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Faurea rochetiana

Leaves
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
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Faurea saligna

Image by Geoff Nichols of flowers
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
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Felicia aethiopica

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
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Felicia amelloides

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
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Felicia dubia

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
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Felicia echinata

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
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Felicia elongata

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
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Felicia erigeroides

Felicia erigeroides flower heads
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
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Felicia filifolia subsp. filifolia

In full flower
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
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