Plants of the Week

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E.g., 10/12/2024
E.g., 10/12/2024

Euryops pectinatus

Euryops pectinatus
Common names: woolly resin bush, golden euryops, golden daisy bush (Eng.), wolharpuisbos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This is a colourful, easily grown shrub from the winter rainfall region....

11 / 06 / 2001 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Eriocephalus africanus

Eriocephalus africanus
Common names: wild rosemary (Eng.), wilderoosmaryn, kapokbos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Wild rosemary is one of the shrubs that most people in the Cape know because it is so common in the veld and easy to identify with its thin, grey leaves,...

11 / 06 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Olinia emarginata

Berries of Olinia emarginata
Common names: mountain hard pear (Eng.); berghardpeer (Afr.)
Family: Oliniaceae

Olinia emarginata is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree, with attractive flowers and berries which makes for an attractive garden ornamental,...

04 / 06 / 2001 | Berenice Carolus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium sidoides

Pot of P. sidoides in foreground
Common names: black pelargonium (Eng.) kalwerbossie, rabassam (Afr.), ikubalo, iyeza lesikhali (Xhosa), khoara-e-nyenyane (Southern Sotho), umckaloabo (German remed
Family: Geraniaceae

A tufted pelargonium with velvety silver leaves and almost black flowers that is a well known medicinal plant in South Africa....

28 / 05 / 2001 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dombeya autumnalis

Dombeya autumnalis
Common names: autumn dombeya, autumn wild pear (English); rotsdrolpeer (Afrikaans)
Family: Malvaceae

This is another attractive shrub for the garden....

28 / 05 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Kalanchoe rotundifolia

Kalanchoe rotundifolia
Common names: common Kalanchoe, round-leaf kalanchoe (Eng.); nentabos, plakkie (Afr.); idambisa, uchane, umadinsane (Zul.); umfayisele yasehlatini, ipewula (Xho.)
Family: Crassulaceae

A brittle succulent plant which grows up to 1 m tall under favourable conditions. It is a delightful little plant that puts up a brave show in clumps among...

21 / 05 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Helichrysum argyrophyllum

Grown on a sunny slope
Common names: Mo's Gold, Golden guinea everlasting, Vaalsewejaartjie
Family: Asteraceae

This plant originates in the Eastern Cape. It favours dry places and bare, open, hard ground and grasslands. It is often found growing amongst rocks. This...

21 / 05 / 2001 | Ryan Smith | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Barleria obtusa

Barleria obtusa
Common names: bush violet, barleria (Eng.); bosviooltjie (Afr.); idololenkonyane (Zulu)
Family: Acanthaceae

Amongst the attractive red, bronze tints provided by tree foliage in autum, Barleria obtusa makes an even more spectacular show, when it is covered in...

14 / 05 / 2001 | Megan Isaacs | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Senegalia ataxacantha

A.ataxacantha flowers
Common names: Flamethorn (E), Vlamdoring / Rank wag-'n-bietjie (Afr), umThathawe (Z), Mologa (N.Sotho), Mogôkatau (Setsw), Muluwa (V), umNga (X).
Family: Fabaceae

The most striking feature of this plant are the deep red to purple-red pods which are held in conspicuous bunches and account for the common name "flame...

14 / 05 / 2001 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Dombeya burgessiae

Dombeya burgessiae
Common names: pink wild pear, pink dombeya, persdrolpeer (Afrikaans), ibunda (Zulu)
Family: Malvaceae

The pink wild pear is a garden favourite used by many gardeners and landscapers for its profusion of pink to white flowers borne in dense clusters which...

07 / 05 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Osteospermum moniliferum

Osteospermum moniliferum
Common names: bietou, boneseed, tickberry, brother berry, bush-tickberry (Eng.) bietou, boetabessie, bosluisbessie, bokbessie, weskusbietou, skilpadkos (Afr.), inku
Family: Asteraceae

A fast growing shrub with bright yellow daisies in autumn and winter followed by edible berries; a useful pioneer, screening plant and popular with birds...

07 / 05 / 2001 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Syncolostemon obermeyerae

Syncolostemon obermeyerae
Common names: Soutpansberg sagebush, pink sagebush (Eng.); Soutpansbergsalie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

Syncolostemon obermeyerae is a fast growing, much branched shrub which can grow to 1,8m tall....

30 / 04 / 2001 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Clivia gardenii

Clivia gardenii
Common names: Major Garden's clivia, Natal drooping clivia (English); boslelie (Afrikaans); umayime (Zulu)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Clivia gardenii is a subtle and delicately pretty sister to the well known Clivia miniata (Bush Lily), which has been in cultivation for many...

30 / 04 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Tecomaria capensis

Tecomaria capensis
Common names: Cape honeysuckle, tecomaria (Eng.); Kaapse kanferfoelie, trompetters (Afr.); malangula (Swazi); umsilingi, icakatha (Xhosa); lungana, incwincwi, uchac
Family: Bignoniaceae

...

23 / 04 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Agathosma lanceolata

Agathosma lanceolata
Common names: Honey Buchu (E); Heuningboegoe (A)
Family: Rutaceae

Gently crush the leaves of this buchu and you will discover its liquorice scent. Interesting....

23 / 04 / 2001 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Thamnochortus insignis

Thamnochortus insignis, male plant.
Common names: Albertinia thatching reed (Eng.); dekriet, mannetjiesriet (Afr.)
Family: Restionaceae

A stunning accent plant with its slender stems tipped with small, golden-brown inflorescences in late summer, and water-wise too!...

16 / 04 / 2001 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Plectranthus

Plectranthus eckloniii
Family: Lamiaceae

Plectranthus is the largest South African genus in the mint family (Lamiaceae), with 44 species natural to our region, most of which occur on the...

09 / 04 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Aerva leucura

Aerva leucura
Common names: aambeibossie
Family: Amaranthaceae

It is not the size of the flowers, but rather the reliable show Aerva leucura gives in the herbaceous border from summer to autumn, that makes this a worthwhile...

09 / 04 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dissotis canescens

Dissotis canescens
Common names: pink wild tibouchina, pink marsh dissotis, ordeal bean (Eng); kalverbossie (Afr); imfeyesele (Zulu)
Family: Melastomataceae

This pretty shrub looks remarkably like a dwarf version of the related South American tibouchina trees (Tibouchina spp.) which are grown in the more...

02 / 04 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Plectranthus ecklonii

All three forms of Plectranthus ecklonii
Common names: tall spurflower, Ecklon's plectranthus (Eng.); groot spoorsalie, Ecklon spoorsalie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

A fast-growing shrubby perennial with showy spikes of pink, blue or white flowers in autumn, ideal for shade or semi-shade....

26 / 03 / 2001 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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