Plants of the Week

Elaeodendron transvaalense

Common names: bushveld saffron (Eng.); bosveldsaffraan, lepelhout (Afr.); iNgwavuma, uMgugudo (Zulu); shimapana (Tsonga); monamane (Northern Sotho)

Family: Celastraceae

Elaeodendron transvaalense is an attractive, small to medium tree that fits perfectly in a small garden. Those gardening for biodiversity will find this...

28 / 05 / 2007 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG

Pelargonium ovale

Family: Geraniaceae

Pelargonium ovale is one of several tufted pelargoniums that are suitable for container gardens....

21 / 05 / 2007 | Trevor Adams | 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

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

Erica bakeri

Common names: Wemmershoek marsh heath

Family: Ericaceae

Erica bakeri is one of the most threatened species in the Ericaceae family. It is only known from one locality that is threatened by alien vegetation,...

14 / 05 / 2007 | Ismail Ebrahim | CREW

Haemanthus deformis

Common names: none

Family: Amaryllidaceae

A dense cluster of white flowers borne atop a short hairy stem and large, fleshy grey leaves make Haemanthus deformis one of South Africa 's most...

07 / 05 / 2007 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cladostemon kirkii

Common names: three-finger bush, butterfly-tree (Eng.); Tonga-kierie (Eng. & Afr.); umThekwini, umusi-iyamuka, uphanda, isidumbu (isiZulu)

Family: Brassicaceae

How is it possible that a tree with such attractive flowers should bear fruits with such an awful stench?...

07 / 05 / 2007 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Plectranthus ambiguus

Common names: pincushion spurflower ( Eng. ); speldekussing spoorsalie (Afr.); iboza elincane (Zulu)

Family: Lamiaceae

Plectranthus ambiguus brings soft green foliage and a splash of vivid violet-purple during autumn to shady areas in the garden, and it is easy...

30 / 04 / 2007 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Helichrysum platypterum

Common names: umbizakayivuthwa, uhlokokayivuthwa, umgunyuza (isiZulu)

Family: Asteraceae

Helichrysum platypterum is equally attractive as other members of the daisy family, more especially when in full bloom. If one is able to dig deep enough...

30 / 04 / 2007 | Mkhipheni Ngwenya | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Ziziphus mucronata

Common names: buffalo thorn (Eng.); blinkblaar-wag-'n-bietjie (Afr.); umphafa, umlahlankosi, isilahla (isiZulu); umphafa (isiXhosa); umlahlabantu (Swazi); mokgalo (

Family: Rhamnaceae

Ziziphus mucronata, or as it is more frequently known, the wag-'n-bietjie tree represents life as we know it. The young twigs are zigzag,...

23 / 04 / 2007 | N Mazibuko | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Widdringtonia schwarzii

Common names: Baviaanskloof cedar, Willowmore cedar (Eng.); Baviaanskloofseder (Afr.)

Family: Cupressaceae

Widdringtonia schwarzii is an ancient giant from the Baviaanskloof Mountains, often with a gnarled trunk and spreading branches, which can reach 40...

23 / 04 / 2007 | C Cowell | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Schotia latifolia

Common names: forest boer-bean, bush boer-bean (Eng.); bosboerboon, boerboontjie (Afr.); umGxam, umXamo (isiXhosa); umGxamu (isiZulu)

Family: Fabaceae

The attractive pink blooms of the forest boer-bean are probably its most distinctive feature, unlike its close relatives, the weeping boer-bean (Schotia...

16 / 04 / 2007 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Phylica ericoides

Common names: heath phylica, ericoid phylica ( Eng. ); hardebos (Afr.)

Family: Rhamnaceae

Phylica ericoides is a tough but decorative little shrub with dark green foliage and masses of showy white flower heads during autumn-winter, perfect...

16 / 04 / 2007 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Hesperantha sufflava

Plant in flower:Image copyright Peter Goldblatt

Common names: evening flower (Eng.); aandblom (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Once thought to be extinct in the wild, Hesperantha sufflava, a delicate, cormous perennial, was rediscovered on an urban development site in 2004, antithetically...

09 / 04 / 2007 | C Cowell | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Commelina africana

Common names: common yellow commelina (Eng.); geeleendagsblom (Afr.); idangabane (Zulu), lekzotswana (Xhosa); khopo, khotsoana, lekxopswana, tabola-lefalo (Southern

Family: Commelinaceae

Commelina africana differs from most other Commelina species by having pretty, small, canary-yellow flowers instead of the usual blue flowers, and also...

09 / 04 / 2007 | C Mudau | National Herbarium Pretoria

Lobelia aquaemontis

Common names: Waterberg lobelia

Family: Lobeliaceae

Flowering with masses of sky-blue flowers, this delicate little lobelia gives a lovely display for many months in summer....

02 / 04 / 2007 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Garcinia livingstonei

Common names: African mangosteen (Eng.); Afrika-geelmelkhout (Afr.); umPhimbi, uGobandlovu (isiZulu); mmimbi (xiTsonga); mokongono, mokononga (siPedi)

Family: Clusiaceae

From time to time one reads of individualists doing strange things and calling it 'living art'. Here is a tree which produces very tasty fruit,...

02 / 04 / 2007 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Pelargonium citronellum

Common names: citronella pelargonium, lemon-scented pelargonium ( Eng. ); malva (Afr.)

Family: Geraniaceae

Pelargonium citronellum has decorative leaves that have a strong, clean, lemon fragrance....

26 / 03 / 2007 | Luyanda Mjuleni | Kirstenbosch NBG

Helichrysum herniarioides

Family: Asteraceae

Once you have seen Helichrysum herniaroides in the veld you will always remember how plentiful it is — almost like a groundcover in sandy areas,...

26 / 03 / 2007 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Rhodocoma gigantea

Common names: dekriet, olifantsriet (Afr.)

Family: Restionaceae

With its upright growing stems and arching, bright green feathery foliage, Rhodocoma gigantea is one of the tallest and most attractive of the...

19 / 03 / 2007 | Karen Wall | Kirstenbosch NBG

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