Plants of the Week

Faurea galpinii

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

Ledebouria petiolata

Common names: leopard lily, little white soldiers, small snake lily (Eng.), injobo, ucibicibane (isiZulu)

Family: Hyacinthaceae

This wonderful, attractive, small but hardy bulb, previously known as Drimiopsis maculata, is tolerant of neglect and fairly easy to grow, has purple,...

02 / 11 / 2015 | Jermaine Christoffels | Kirstenbosch NBG

Eumorphia prostrata

Common names: silver cloud

Family: Asteraceae

...

09 / 11 / 2015 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Selago tarachodes

Common names: trouble selago

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Selago tarachodes is a neat, compact, herbaceous perennial, with shiny green leaves and masses of showy, white, flower-heads, that flowers throughout the...

09 / 11 / 2015 | Zama Sibisi | Walter Sisulu NBG

Senecio littoreus

Common names: coast senecio (Eng.), geelhongerblom (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Senecio littoreus is a small, but tough, erect annual, well suited to extreme coastal conditions....

16 / 11 / 2015 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG

Diastella fraterna

Common names: Palmiet silkypuff

Family: Proteaceae

The Palmiet silkypuff is a decorative shrublet with a sprinkling of pretty puffy white flowers almost all year round....

16 / 11 / 2015 | Nosiphelele Patricia Mapukata | Harold Porter NBG

Nerine bowdenii

Common names: large pink nerine (Eng.); grootpienknerina (Afr.)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Nerine bowdenii is an autumn-flowering geophyte with impressive, large, pink or rarely pure white blooms, carried on long sturdy stems. It is the most...

23 / 11 / 2015 | Graham Duncan | Harold Porter NBG

Triumfetta annua

Common names: bur weed, lesser cockle bur, annual triumfetta (Eng.); klitsbossie (Afr.); umhlabangubo (isiXhosa)

Family: Malvaceae

...

23 / 11 / 2015 | Nonkululo Phephu | National Herbarium Pretoria

Sterculia alexandri

Common names: Cape star-chestnut (Eng.); Kaapsesterkastaiing (Afr.)

Family: Malvaceae

Sterculia alexandri is a medium-sized, thickset tree with compound leaves and yellow flowers. It is endemic to the Eastern Cape, west of Port Elizabeth,...

30 / 11 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gymnosporia buxifolia

Common names: spikethorn, common spikethorn, stinking spike-thorn (Eng.); gewone pendoring, pendoring, stinkdoring, lemoendoring (Afr.); ingqwangane, ubangalala, us

Family: Celastraceae

Gymnosporia buxifolia is a very showy plant when in flower and can grow into an interesting and shapely small tree over time. It can be pruned to form...

30 / 11 / 2015 | Sameer Khan | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Serruria decipiens

Common names: sandveld spiderhead

Family: Proteaceae

The Sandveld spiderhead is a small rounded fynbos shrub with clusters of sweetly scented, creamy white flowers in spring; it is well suited to fynbos gardens...

07 / 12 / 2015 | Zitobile Sikova | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ursinia chrysanthemoides

Common names: parachute daisy, coral ursinia (Eng.); pokkiesbos, bergmagriet (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

A showy upright or mat-forming spring flowering perennial with daisy flowers in various colours....

07 / 12 / 2015 | Anthony R. Magee | Compton Herbarium

Watsonia tabularis

Common names: Table Mountain watsonia (Eng.); suurkanol, kanolpypie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Watsonia tabularis has showy summer flowers, attracts Sunbirds and Sugarbirds and is well suited to fynbos gardens....

14 / 12 / 2015 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Crassula sarcocaulis

Common names: bonsai crassula (Eng.); serelilenyane (S.Sotho); umadinsane (isiZulu)

Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula sarcocaulis is one of the few plants that has a tree-like form, in miniature. It’s also a tough, water-wise, drought- and cold-tolerant...

14 / 12 / 2015 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG

Searsia lucida

Common names: glossy crowberry, glossy currant, glossy wild currant (Eng.); blinktaaibos, slaptaaibos (Afr.); intlokolotshane-ebomvu, umchane, amapozi (isiXhosa); i

Family: Anacardiaceae

A versatile shrub or small tree, with attractive shiny leaves and creamy white flowers, which are followed by green fruits that ripen to red-brown and...

21 / 12 / 2015 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus polita subsp. polita

Common names: heart-leaved fig, wild rubber fig, wild rubber tree (Eng.); hartblaarvy, wilderubbervy, rubberplant (Afr.); umkhiwane (siSwati.); umkhiwane, umphumel

Family: Moraceae

Next time you attend one of Kirstenbosch’s summer sunset concerts, see if you can spot the Afrotropical Ficus polita subsp. polita, growing on the...

21 / 12 / 2015 | Hannelie Snyman | Compton Herbarium

Erica peziza

Common names: woollysnow heath, velvet bell heath, white heath (Eng.); kapokkie (Afr.)

Family: Ericaceae

A beautiful fynbos shrub that turns snowy white when it flowers in spring....

28 / 12 / 2015 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG

Vaccinium exul

Common names: African blueberry, African cranberry (Eng.); Afrika-bloubessie, bosbessiebos (Afr.)

Family: Ericaceae

In southern Africa the heath family (Ericaceae) is represented by only two indigenous genera: Erica which is extremely speciose, containing ± 770...

28 / 12 / 2015 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Sagittanthera mzimvubuensis

Common names: Mzimvubu-ruby (Eng.); kransrobyn (Afr.)

Family: Hyacinthaceae

Sagittanthera mzimvubuensis is a geophyte with decorative club-shaped, ruby-green bulb scales and pendent, terete leaves, growing on cliffs along the Mzimvubu...

04 / 01 / 2016 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Fabronia pilifera

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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