Plants of the Week

Browse through all previous entries of Plants Of The Week

  • Sort by date added
  • Sort Alphabetically
Go to Plants of the Week Advanced Search
E.g., 22/12/2024
E.g., 22/12/2024

Limonium peregrinum

Limonium peregrinum flowers
Common names: sea lavender (Eng.); papierblom, strandroos (Afr.)
Family: Plumbaginaceae

...

17 / 01 / 2011 | N Stoll | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Drosanthemum striatum

Drosanthemum striatum flowers
Common names: ice plant (Eng.); bergygie, vleisbos, porseleinbos (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

An attractive hardy pink perennial vygie, ideal for most garden situations....

17 / 01 / 2011 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
Read More

Combretum apiculatum subsp. apiculatum

Combretum apiculatum subsp. apiculatum
Common names: red bush willow (Eng.); rooiboswilg (Afr.); umbondwe (Zulu); imbondvo (Swazi); mohwidiri (Tswana); mohwelere (Sepedi); muvuvha (Tshivenda); ndhuva (Ts
Family: Combretaceae

Combretum apiculatum subsp. apiculatum is an attractive, deciduous, small to medium-sized tree that occurs in various savanna regions, often at low altitudes...

10 / 01 / 2011 | T.T. Masupa | Pretoria NBG
Read More

Bulbine cremnophila

Bulbine cremnophila growing on a sandstone cliff in the Baviaanskloof (Eastern Cape) © G. Nichols
Common names: Baviaanskloof cliff bulbine (Eng.); Baviaanskloof kranskopieva (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbine cremnophila is a cliff hugger growing in small clusters with hanging leaves and yellow flowers during spring. It thrives in cultivation in containers...

10 / 01 / 2011 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Macrostylis squarrosa

Macrostylis squarrosa shrub
Common names: None recorded
Family: Rutaceae

Macrostylis squarrosa is a very attractive, densely bushy shrub of about 700 mm high. When it flowers in spring and summer, it is dotted with small...

03 / 01 / 2011 | Jean Meyer | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Leucospermum catherinae

Leucospermum catherinae flower head
Common names: catherine-wheel pincushion (Eng.)
Family: Proteaceae

...

03 / 01 / 2011 | N Stoll | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Streptocarpus saxorum

Common names: false African violet; Cape primrose
Family: Gesneriaceae

This is a charming Streptocarpus with dainty lilac flowers. It is both pretty and tough with succulent foliage which droops, making it ideal for hanging...

20 / 12 / 2010 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Streptocarpus fanniniae

Streptocarpus fanniniae © D.Styles
Common names: Cape primrose (Eng.)
Family: Gesneriaceae

Streptocarpus fanniniae is a perennial creeping plant cascading over moist cliffs on streambanks and near waterfalls in KwaZulu-Natal....

20 / 12 / 2010 | Rivash Maharaj | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
Read More

Huernia pendula

Huernia pendula growing on a shale cliff near Bolo Reserve along the Kei River
Common names: bootlace huernia (Eng.); skoenveter-aasblom (Afr.); imitya (Xhosa)
Family: Apocynaceae

Huernia pendula is a cliff hanger with rope-like leafless branches and bowl-shaped pendent flowers confined to dry river valleys in the Eastern Cape....

13 / 12 / 2010 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Erythrophysa alata

Red nectar producing flowers of E. alata
Common names: Namaqua red balloon (Eng.); Namakwa-rooiklapperbos, mannetjie-roldoring, kloe-kloekie (Afr.)
Family: Sapindaceae

The intensely red flowers of this small rigid tree are unlike those of any other small tree from Namaqualand....

13 / 12 / 2010 | Werner Voigt | Harold Porter NBG
Read More

Tavaresia barklyi

Tavaresia flower. Copyright: L. Viljoen
Common names: Devil's trumpet (E); bergghaap, katstert (A); olukatai (Ndonga, Ovamboland, northern Namibia); okukato lekadi, olukato lendume (Kwanyama, Ovamboland,
Family: Apocynaceae

The neat appearance of the ribbed stems furnished with bristles at first reminds one of a cactus, but when the bizarre trumpet-shaped flowers appear, one...

06 / 12 / 2010 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Crassula exilis

Crassula exilis
Common names: None recorded
Family: Crassulaceae

An attractive, dwarf succulent flowering cushion, excellent for rockeries and living walls....

06 / 12 / 2010 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Riocreuxia genus

Riocreuxia picta flowers
Common names: R. polyantha : koeiriempies (Afr.); R. torulosa : candle-wine (Eng.); kandelaarblom (Afr.); ugwapha, unquntane, ushuqu (Zulu)
Family: Apocynaceae

Most species in this genus are herbaceous climbers and may cover their supporting vegetation in a green mass of leaves....

29 / 11 / 2010 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Erica nevillei

Erica nevillei flowers showing anthers foliage
Common names: red rock-heath (Eng.); klouterplant (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

The tubular, bright red flowers of Erica nevillei are breathtaking and the low-growing, sprawling habit of this Cape Peninsula endemic will fascinate...

29 / 11 / 2010 | Julia Dabush | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Crassula mesembrianthemopsis

C. mesembrianthemopsis plants growing in quartzite soil
Common names: foam flower
Family: Crassulaceae

One of the smallest and most bizarre succulents in South Africa, this plant has seldom been seen in the wild and is virtually unknown in cultivation....

22 / 11 / 2010 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Aloe genus

Common names: aloe (English); aalwyn (Afrikaans); aalwee (Afrikaans; Dutch); hlaba, lekhala (Southern Sotho); icena (Ndebele); imboma (Zulu).
Family: Asphodelaceae

With their usually spiny leaves arranged in neat rosettes, and tall candle-like inflorescences in predominantly red and vibrant orange hues, aloes are...

22 / 11 / 2010 | Ronell R. Klopper | Biosystematics
Read More

Strelitzia alba

Strelitzia alba flower
Common names: white-flowered wild banana, Cape wild banana (Eng.); Kaapse witwildepiesang (Afr.); Isigude esimbalimhlophe (Nguni)
Family: Strelitziaceae

Strelitzia alba is the rarest of the three large banana-like Strelitzia species occurring in southern Africa which are separated by flower characteristics...

15 / 11 / 2010 | Phakamani Xaba | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Lotononis calycina

Lotononis calycina herb
Common names: hairy Lotononis, namele (Sotho )
Family: Fabaceae

A small flat-growing yellow-flowered leguminous herb graces the dreary Highveld landscape in early spring. This delicate silvery plant highlights the importance...

15 / 11 / 2010 | Alicia Grobler | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Piliostigma thonnigii

PiIiostigma thonningii tree
Common names: camel's foot (Eng.); kameelspoor (Afr.); mukolokote (Venda); mokgoropo (North Sotho); nkolokotso (TS)
Family: Fabaceae

This is a deciduous tree suitable for a large garden. It has large 2-lobed leathery leaves....

08 / 11 / 2010 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG
Read More

Kraussia floribunda

Kraussia floribunda foliage and flowers
Common names: rhino-coffee; renosterkoffie, wildekornoelie (Afr); isiKhukhankobe, isiKhubashane, uTholomba (Zulu)
Family: Rubiaceae

This is a pleasing garden shrub with faintly scented, attractive white flowers which appear in midsummer followed by a further season of interest in winter...

08 / 11 / 2010 | Sarah Curtis | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More