Plants of the Week

Asclepias albens

Common names: cartwheels (Eng.); idoyi, ishongwe (Zulu); tshalale (Venda)

Family: Apocynaceae

This is the most widespread species of Asclepias in South Africa....

13 / 12 / 2004 | E T Rampho | Pretoria NBG

Asclepias

Common names: milkweed (Eng.); melkbos (Afr.)

Family: Apocynaceae

Members of the genus Asclepias (as most of the taxa in the family Apocynaceae in the broad sense, subfamily Asclepiadoideae), are an interesting group...

17 / 02 / 2020 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Artemisia afra

Common names: wild wormwood, African wormwood (Eng.); wilde-als (Afr.); umhlonyane (isiXhosa); mhlonyane (isiZulu); lengana (Tswana); zengana (Southern Sotho)

Family: Asteraceae

Named after the Greek goddess Artemis, this soft aromatic shrub is one of the most popular medicinal plants in South Africa. Easy to grow, Artemisia afra...

19 / 04 / 2004 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Arrowsmithia styphelioides

Common names: There are no common names in use for this species.

Family: Asteraceae

This rare and endemic shrublet is a member of the daisy family and occurs only in a restricted area in the Eastern Cape Province....

14 / 02 / 2011 | Nicola Bergh | Compton Herbarium

Aristea torulosa

Common names: Wood’s aristea (Eng.); blousuurkanol (Afr.); khahla, lethepu-le-lenyenyane (Sesotho,); umluzi omncane (isiZulu); phayimashimane (siSwati)

Family: Iridaceae

A lovely, vibrant species of Aristea with striking, star-like, blue flowers that appear prolifically in summer....

25 / 11 / 2024 | Ofentse Naanyane | Free State NBG

Aristea spiralis

Common names: star-eyed aristea, pale capeblue (Eng.)

Family: Iridaceae

Clumps of Aristea spiralis make a striking display, the large white to pale blue flowers with purple centres are very attractive and last throughout the...

11 / 12 / 2023 | Natasha Lombard | National Herbarium Pretoria

Aristea grandis

Common names: large blue-stars, giant blue-eyed grass (Eng.)

Family: Iridaceae

A beautiful, robust, grass-like plant with striking deep blue flowers that grow in clusters up tall stems, and broad, pale green leaves. It is a member...

09 / 09 / 2024 | Sefularo Ramaboea | National Zoological Gardens

Aristea ecklonii

Common names: blue stars (Eng.); blousterre (Afr.); umhushuza (IsiZulu)

Family: Iridaceae

Aristea ecklonii is an indigenous, evergreen perennial with attractive, blue, star-like flowers that make quite a show in early summer and late spring....

01 / 10 / 2012 | Sthembile Zondi | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Aristea capitata

Common names: blue sceptre (Eng.); blousuurkanol (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

The Cape is well known for its wealth of beautiful bulbs. If you go walking on Lion's Head above Cape Town in early summer, one of the most striking...

01 / 11 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aristea biflora

Common names: windowed aristea

Family: Iridaceae

Aristea biflora is a member of the family Iridaceae and an inhabitant the south-western Cape. It is characterized by attractive violet to purple flowers...

06 / 04 / 2009 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW

Argyrolobium tomentosum

Common names: velvety yellow bush pea (Eng.); umadlozana, umlomomnandi (isiZulu)

Family: Fabaceae

A scrambling, evergreen shrub with yellow flowers in spring and summer; it is a pretty garden plant and is one of South Africa’s magical medicinal...

19 / 09 / 2016 | Bulannga Mufhati | Lowveld NBG

Argyrolobium rupestre subsp. rupestre

Common names: none

Family: Fabaceae

A small, slender-stemmed, few-flowered, shortly ascending plant, that flourishes in spring and summer. It is a flowering plant in the legume family (Fabaceae),...

08 / 04 / 2019 | Robetta Kandawire | National Herbarium Pretoria

Argyrolobium robustum

Common names: liquorice bean (Eng.), soethoutbossie (Afr.), umuzimuka (Zul.)

Family: Fabaceae

Argyrolobium robustum is an attractive plant with many-flowered, yellow flower-heads that are produced from spring to early summer; common in grasslands...

31 / 01 / 2022 | Thembeka Malwane | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Argyrolobium lunare

Common names: None

Family: Fabaceae

At first glance it looks as if there are two similar kinds of plant growing together. This is because most of the flowers are bright yellow and others...

23 / 07 / 2012 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG

Argyrolobium angustissimum

Common names: Paarl Fire Pea

Family: Fabaceae

Argyrolobium angustissimum is an unassuming Cape peaflower which until relatively recently had been presumed possibly extinct.Figure 1. Argyrolobium angustissimum...

27 / 08 / 2018 | Randall Josephs | Compton Herbarium

Argyroderma theartii

Common names: baby-toes (Eng.); bababoudjies (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Argyroderma theartii is a beautiful, dwarf, cluster-forming, winter growing succulent plant, bearing striking, bright purple-pink flowers during the...

28 / 03 / 2005 | | Kirstenbosch NBG

Arctotis venusta

Common names: Karoo marigold (Eng.); Karoo gousblom (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Arctotis venusta is one of the few indigenous annuals that are easy to grow and provide a reliable, colourful display in summer....

06 / 02 / 2006 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Arctotis stoechadifolia

Common names: coast arctotis, silver arctotis, trailing arctotis (Eng.); kusgousblom, bittergousblom, witgousblom (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

A tough and fast-growing groundcover often seen in gardens around the world, Arctotis stoechadifolia surprisingly only occurs naturally along a small strip...

05 / 12 / 2005 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG