Plants of the Week

Vangueria infausta

Common names: wild medlar (Eng.); wilde mispel (Afr.); mpfilwa (Tsonga & Shangaan); mmilo (Northern Sotho); muzwilu, mavelo (Venda); umviyo, umtulwa (Zulu); umv

Family: Rubiaceae

This species is one of South Africa's more popular veld fruits, and can be enjoyed while walking. This lovely little tree is considered to possess...

01 / 03 / 2004 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG

Veltheimia bracteata

Common names: forest lily, forest sand-lily, winter red hot poker (Eng.); sandui, sandlelie (Afr.)

Family: Hyacinthaceae

Veltheimia bracteata is a beautiful deciduous bulb with a moderate to fast growth rate. The inflorescence is a dense raceme of tubular flowers carried...

27 / 08 / 2001 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

Veltheimia capensis

Common names: quarobe, sand lily (Eng.); kwarobe, sandlelie (Afr.)

Family: Hyacinthaceae

Veltheimia capensis is an autumn- and winter-flowering bulb with striking rosettes of wavy or curled, grey-blue leaves and pendent, pink-speckled flowers....

30 / 07 / 2018 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Vepris carringtoniana

Common names: winged white-ironwood; coastal white-ironwood (Eng.); vlerksteelwitysterhout, kuswitysterhout (Afr.), umozane (isiZulu)

Family: Rutaceae

The winged white-ironwood is a truly beautiful tree that varies greatly in height, depending on climate and rainfall. Its leaves are densely covered with...

24 / 08 / 2015 | Aluwani Tshiila | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Vepris lanceolata

Common names: white ironwood (Eng.); witysterhout (Afr.); Muruvula (Tsonga); Muhondwa (Venda); umZane (Xhosa); umOzana (Zulu)

Family: Rutaceae

What a lovely, underrated shrub or tree-a plant that South Africans can definitely try in their gardens in the future!...

15 / 11 / 2004 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG

Vepris reflexa

Common names: bushveld white-ironwood (Eng.); bosveldwitysterhout (Afr.); umozane (isiZulu)

Family: Rutaceae

Vepris reflexa is a glossy-leafed, evergreen tree with aromatic, apple-green foliage, which gives off a lemony scent when crushed. It grows large in the...

10 / 08 / 2015 | Aluwani Tshiila | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Vernonia galpinii

Common names: Bloukwasbossie, Perskwasbossie (Afr)

Family: Asteraceae

This charming low-growing, purple-flowered perennial makes a wonderful edging for indigenous borders....

03 / 01 / 2005 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Vernonia glabra

This plant is now called Linzia glabra....

01 / 01 / 2003 | | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Vernonia hirsuta

This plant is now called Hilliardiella hirsuta....

23 / 01 / 2003 | | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Vernonia natalensis

Family: Asteraceae

This plant is now called Hilliardiella aristata...

01 / 04 / 2015 | | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Vigna unguiculata

Common names: cowpea, black- eyed pea, southern pea (Eng.); akkerbone, boontjie, koertjie (Afr.); isikhwali, indumba, isihlumaya, umcwasibe (isiZulu); dinawa (Sotho

Family: Fabaceae

Urbanization has led to the decline of traditional plant-based diets, impacting health. Vigna unguiculata, rich in protein, helps fill this gap with its...

10 / 02 / 2025 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG

Vigna vexillata var. vexillata

Common names: wild cowpea, narrow-leaved wild sweetpea (Eng.); wilde-akkerboontjie, wilde-ertjie (Afr.); mgcenga (siSwati); isikhwali, ubombo, umcwasibe, umnxwasibe

Family: Fabaceae

Vigna vexillata var. vexillata is a perennial, creeping or climbing herb, with beautiful and pleasantly scented, whitish to mauve or dark pink flowers...

21 / 03 / 2022 | Ofentse Mmako | National Herbarium Pretoria

Villarsia goldblattiana

Common names: yellow bogbean

Family: Menyanthaceae

Villarsia is a genus of aquatic flowering plants in the family Menyanthaceae. Villarsia is largely restricted to Australia, but some species are found...

27 / 07 / 2015 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Virgilia

Common names: blossom tree, amaqua tree (Eng.); keurboom, amakwasboom (Afr.)

Family: Fabaceae

Gardeners need not hesitate on the choice of tree if the keurboom is on the list; it is a beautiful tree, suitable for both the domestic garden and big...

18 / 08 / 2003 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Viscum crassulae

Common names: Spekboom mistletoe, Spekboom-voelent

Family: Santalaceae

Viscum crassulae is a rounded, succulent shrublet growing as a parasite on branches of Portulacaria afra (spekboom). It is easily grown by placing its...

01 / 12 / 2013 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Vitex rehmannii

Common names: pipe-stem fingerleaf, pipe-stem tree (Eng.), pypsteelvingerblaar, pypsteelboom (Afr.), munyongatshifumbu (Tshivenda), umluthu (isiZulu), mokgale (Sepe

Family: Lamiaceae

Vitex rehmanni is categorized as a shrub and a tree and is endemic to southern Africa. It has yellow-green to olive-green, aromatic leaves and white...

15 / 02 / 2021 | Thandy Makgolane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Wachendorfia brachyandra

Common names: short-stamen butterfly lily, lax butterfly lily

Family: Haemodoraceae

This is a long-lived and free-flowering species, ideal for a sunny rockery....

13 / 11 / 2017 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Wachendorfia thyrsiflora

Common names: marsh butterfly lily, bloodroot, redroot (Eng.); rooikanol (Afr.)

Family: Haemodoraceae

Wachendorfia thyrsiflora with its large golden flower spikes is very striking when in flower....

10 / 12 / 2001 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Wahlenbergia capensis

Common names: Cape bluebell

Family: Campanulaceae

Wahlenbergia capensis, the Cape bluebell, is a member of the Campanulaceae (the bellflower family). Its showy flowers start appearing from early spring,...

01 / 10 / 2007 | C Cupido | Compton Herbarium

Wahlenbergia cuspidata

Common names: None recorded

Family: Campanulaceae

Wahlenbergia cuspidata is a bushy, perennial herb with large, showy, cup-shaped flowers, from summer-rainfall regions of South Africa....

01 / 09 / 2014 | C Cupido | Compton Herbarium

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