Plants of the Week

Phygelius aequalis

Common names: river bell, wild fuchsia (Eng.); foksia, rivierklokkie (Afr.); metsi-matso (Southern Sotho)

Family: Scrophulariaceae

A beautiful, lush, fast-growing, evergreen perennial, with spikes of showy trumpet-shaped, red or yellow flowers and a long blooming season....

23 / 07 / 2007 | Karen Wall | Kirstenbosch NBG

Phragmites australis

Common names: commom reed; fluitjiesriet (Afr.); lehlaka (SeSotho.); umHlanga (isiZulu.); lutanga (Tshivenda.)

Family: Poaceae

Phragmites australia is a cosmopolitan perennial grass/reed with grey-green leaves and a light brown to purple inflorescence and the flowers are...

12 / 01 / 2015 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria

Phoenix reclinata

Common names: wild date palm (Eng.); wilde-dadelboom (Afr.); mopalamo (Northern Sotho); moséfa (Tswana); isundu (Xhosa, Zulu)

Family: Arecaceae

This graceful palm with its characteristic slender, leaning stems is a feature of riverine bush and forest in the eastern parts of the country. It is almost...

11 / 10 / 2004 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Philenoptera violacea

Common names: apple-leaf (Eng.); appelblaar (Afr.); umBhandu, umPhanda, isiHomohomo (isiZulu)

Family: Fabaceae

The wood of this attractive, hard, frost-sensitive "rain-tree" makes a stunning ornamental display....

14 / 12 / 2009 | Sifiso Mnxati | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Philenoptera sutherlandii

Common names: forest apple-leaf, giant umzimbeet, bastard umzimbeet (Eng.); bosappelblaar, reuseomsambeet, basteromsambeet (Afr.); umsimbishana, umsimbithana (isiZu

Family: Fabaceae

A large and handsome evergreen tree, with showy pink or purple flowers in midsummer, that grows mainly in forest habitat....

19 / 07 / 2021 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Phaulopsis imbricata

Common names: sticky acanth (Eng.); umhlonyane (isiZulu); papleaf (The Gambia), salt of the cow (Senegal)

Family: Acanthaceae

Phaulopsis imbricata is a bushy, perennial herbaceous plant, with small white flowers in short spikes that are sticky to the touch. Easy to grow, it is...

09 / 10 / 2023 | Bongekile Ndlovu | Pretoria NBG

Phaenocoma prolifera

Common names: pink everlasting, pink strawflower, Cape everlasting (Eng.); rooisewejaartjie, strooiblommetjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

I often think of this species as the dinosaur of the everlastings. It is a strong rigid shrub with brilliant pink bracts and large flower heads. It is...

06 / 09 / 2004 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Peucedanum polyactinum

This plant is now called Notobubon capense....

11 / 05 / 2016 | | National Herbarium Pretoria

Petalidium oblongifolium

Common names: blue petalidium, blue petal-bush (Eng.); bloubos, blou-tongklapper (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

A beautiful small shrub with silvery leaves and attractive blue flowers in summer; a hardy, water-wise plant for sun or semi-shade....

13 / 04 / 2020 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG

Petalidium coccineum

Common names: Kaoko petalidium (Eng.); rooi-tongklapper, Kaoko rooibekkiebos (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

The Kaoko petalidium is a fast-growing, branched shrub with smooth, white bark which contrasts with its striking, red, curved flowers and ornamental, mottled...

05 / 01 / 2004 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Petalidium bracteatum

Common names: Ruacana petalidium (Eng.); Ruacana rooibekkiebos (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

The Ruacana petalidium is a fast and easily growing shrub with striking dark red tubular flowers which attract sunbirds. As its name implies, it originates...

08 / 03 / 2004 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Petalacte coronata

Common names: paper flower (Eng.); wildesewejaartjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Petalacte coronata produces white flower heads in clusters from June to November. The distribution of the plant seems to influence the length of flowering....

10 / 11 / 2014 | Benjamin Festus | Harold Porter NBG

Peperomia tetraphylla

Common names: four-leaved peperomia, acorn peperomia (Eng.)

Family: Piperaceae

A low-growing herb with creeping stems forming mats, with small, thick, rounded leaves, typically dark green with lighter stripes, and are excellent at...

31 / 07 / 2023 | Luckyboy Nduli | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Pentzia incana

Common names: anchor karoo bush, common karoo bush, good karoo, sheep karoo, sheep bush, sweet karoo (Eng.); alsbossie, alsbos, ankerkaroo, bewerasie, gansie, ganso

Family: Asteraceae

An aromatic and easy-growing perennial suited for the water-wise garden. This grey leaved species is covered in small yellow flowers for about six months...

08 / 05 / 2023 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG

Pentzia dentata

Common names: greater skaapkaroo, duck's-foot skaapkaroo (Eng.) grootskaapkaroo, eendepootkaroo (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

A wonderful water-wise, aromatic shrub with soft, grey foliage and clusters of yellow inflorescences, from spring to summer....

21 / 03 / 2016 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Pentarrhinum insipidum

Common names: African heartvine (Eng.), donkieperske, hondepisbossie, opklim, wildekomkommer (Afr.), aulana, furana (Ndebele), umulugwe (Ndebele), leswa (Sotho)

Family: Apocynaceae

The leaves, stems and fruit of Pentarrhinum insipidum are widely eaten throughout Africa. It is an important wild vegetable and has the potential to be...

27 / 10 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | Pretoria NBG

Pentanisia prunelloides

Common names: wild verbena, broad-leaved Pentanisia (Eng.); sooibrandbossie (Afr.); icimamlilo (Zulu)

This beautiful blue grassland flower, which attracts butterflies, shows great potential as a garden plant. Widespread in southern Africa, and used extensively...

06 / 01 / 2003 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Penaea mucronata

Common names: noughts-and-crosses (Eng.)

Family: Penaeaceae

A resprouting shrub, with branches coppicing from a woody base, triangular leaves and yellow to red flowers in spring and summer; found in fynbos, and...

28 / 06 / 2021 | Kamogelo Solomon Modimola | Kirstenbosch NBG

Penaea cneorum

Common names: common brickleaf, common noughts-and-crosses, naughty crosses (Eng.)

Family: Penaeaceae

Penaea cneorum is a lanky shrub with leathery foliage and compact spikes of small yellow flowers that rest upon distinctive greenish-yellow bracts and...

11 / 07 / 2022 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Peltophorum africanum

Common names: Weeping Wattle, African Black Wattle, African Blackwood, African Wattle (E), Boerboon, Boerboontjie, Dopperkehatenhout, Dopperkiaat, Kajatenhout, Rooi

Family: Fabaceae

A semi-deciduous tree with acacia-like foliage and showy yellow flowers, it's also an excellent tree for bee-keepers....

01 / 01 / 2001 | Y Reynolds | Kirstenbosch NBG

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