Plants of the Week

Pelargonium vitifolium

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

Osmitopsis asteriscoides

Common names: swamp daisy, mountain daisy, bellis (Eng.); bels, belskruie, belsbos, belsebos, belsbossie, belsebossie (Afr.).

Family: Asteraceae

This attractive white daisy has been in use for various medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. During spring and early summer many of the wetland areas...

01 / 11 / 2010 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG

Leucadendron linifolium

Common names: line-leaf conebush (Eng.), duineknoppiesbos, knoppiesbos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

Leucadendron linifolium is a neat, evergreen shrub, water-wise in the winter-rainfall region and ideal for gardens on the sandy flats. It is used...

25 / 10 / 2010 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Baphia racemosa

Common names: violet pea, Natal camwood (Eng.); boskamhout (Afr.); uTshuphu (isiXhosa); isiFithi (isiZulu)

Family: Fabaceae

Baphia racemosa is an evergreen shrub with white flowers that stand out against the green forest and fill the air with a strong violet scent....

25 / 10 / 2010 | Sifiso Mnxati | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Gazania rigens var. leucolaena

Common names: trailing gazania (Eng.); strandgazania, strandgousblom, rankbotterblom (Afr.); ububendle (Zulu)

Family: Asteraceae

When in full flower, the bright yellow flower heads set against the greyish white leaves, create an attractive, bright, cheerful patch to lighten up any...

18 / 10 / 2010 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria

Erica triflora

Common names: bearded tree heath, three-flower erica (Eng.); baardboomheide (Afr.)

Family: Ericaceae

Erica triflora has been in cultivation for a long time and appears on a list of heaths that were cultivated by Messrs Lee and Kennedy at Hammersmith,...

18 / 10 / 2010 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Family: Montiniaceae

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

Leucadendron rubrum

Common names: spinning top conebush (Eng.); tolletjiesbos, waretolbos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

Leucadendron rubrum is not a flowering show stopper. It is an interesting shrub producing wonderful, brightly coloured cones looking like spinning...

11 / 10 / 2010 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG

Urochloa mosambicensis

Common names: bushveld signal grass, white buffalo grass, herringbone grass (Eng.); bosveldbeesgras, witbuffelsgras (Afr.)

Family: Poaceae

Urochloa mosambicensis is a perennial grass with an inflorescence made up of a number of spike-like racemes arranged alternately on a central axis. It...

04 / 10 / 2010 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria

Pelargonium fruticosum

Common names: None known

Family: Geraniaceae

This profusely flowering shrublet will be any gardener's delight in spring....

04 / 10 / 2010 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

Moraea aristata

Common names: bouooguintjie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Moraea aristata is a beautiful late winter- and spring-flowering peacock moraea with white blooms marked with light to deep iridescent blue eyes or...

27 / 09 / 2010 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe khamiesensis

Common names: Khamiesberg aloe (Eng.); Kamiesberg-aalwyn, tweederly (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

The bright red flowering spikes of Aloe khamiesensis against the blue Namaqualand skies are a sight to behold. The charismatic plants flower in abundance...

27 / 09 / 2010 | Werner Voigt | Harold Porter NBG

Leucospermum grandiflorum

Common names: grey-leaf fountain pincushion, rainbow pincushion (Eng.)

Family: Proteaceae

The rainbow pincushion makes for a fascinating floral display with flower buds opening bright yellow and slowly changing to flaming red....

20 / 09 / 2010 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG

Greyia

Common names: wild bottlebrushes

Family: Melianthaceae

This family occurs only in South Africa, and consists of a single genus, Greyia Hook. & Harv. with 3 species, all small trees or shrubs. The...

20 / 09 / 2010 | F Nonyane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Erica curviflora

Common names: water heath (Eng.); waterbos, waterheide (Afr.)

Family: Ericaceae

Erica curviflora var. curviflora is a spectacular and widespread species occurring throughout the fynbos region and as far-east as Grahamstown....

13 / 09 / 2010 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Barleria lancifolia

Common names: No common name recorded.

Family: Acanthaceae

Barleria lancifolia is an ideal plant to cover the hot bare sunny patches in your garden....

13 / 09 / 2010 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Tabernaemontana elegans

Common names: toad tree (Eng.); laeveldse paddaboom (Afr.); umKhahlwana, umKhadlu (Zulu); muchanga (Shona)

Family: Apocynaceae

Tabernaemontana elegans is a beautiful bushveld tree that can be recognised by its large, glossy leaves, fragrant white flowers and large fruit borne...

06 / 09 / 2010 | M Cheek | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium