Plants of the Week

Browse through all previous entries of Plants Of The Week

  • Sort by date added
  • Sort Alphabetically
Go to Plants of the Week Advanced Search
E.g., 12/02/2025
E.g., 12/02/2025

Freylinia undulata

Freylinia undulata
Common names: Overberg bell-bush, mauve honey-bell (Eng.); Overbergse klokkiesbos (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Freylinia undulata is an attractive shrub with mauve flowers, ideal for dry gardens in the winter-rainfall area....

06 / 09 / 2004 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Freylinia tropica

Butterfly on Freylinia tropica
Common names: Waterberg bell-bush, blue honey-bell, blue freylinia (Eng.), inyanga hedge plant (Shona)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

This shrub makes a good garden subject for summer rainfall areas....

10 / 09 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG
Read More

Freylinia longiflora

Freylinia longiflora
Common names: Elgin bell-bush, Elgin freylinia (Eng.); Grabou klokkiesbos (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

This critically endangered shrub makes an attractive garden plant....

25 / 09 / 2006 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Freylinia lanceolata

Freylinia lanceolata
Common names: honey bell-bush, honeybells (Eng.); heuningklokkiesbos (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

The honey bell-bush is a shrub or small tree with a charm all of its own, and attracts hosts of butterflies and other pollinators....

04 / 11 / 2002 | Pitta Joffe | Pretoria NBG
Read More

Freylinia helmei

Freylinia helmei
Common names: Bot River bell-bush (Eng.); Botrivierseklokkiesbos (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

This is another of the attractive bell-bushes, which make interesting garden shrubs....

29 / 08 / 2005 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Freylinia densiflora

Freylinia densiflora
Common names: Langeberg bell-bush, common bell-bush (Eng.); Langebergseklokkiesbos (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Blue-green foliage and subtly coloured flowers are attractive features of this widespread bell-bush....

04 / 07 / 2005 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Freylinia crispa

Flowers
Common names: Kouga bell-bush (Eng.); Kouga klokkiesbos (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

The attractive purple flowers of the Kouga bell-bush will brighten up your garden....

19 / 11 / 2007 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Freesia leichtlinii subsp. alba

Freesia leichtlinii subsp. alba
Common names: white freesia, wild freesia (Eng.); ruikpypie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

With its showy white spring flowers, exquisite perfume and relative ease in cultivation, Freesia leichtlinii subsp. alba is one of the most rewarding Cape...

30 / 08 / 2004 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Freesia grandiflora

Freesia grandiflora
Common names: forest freesia, forest kammetjie (Eng.)
Family: Iridaceae

A beautiful, red-flowered, bulbous plant that deserves more horticultural attention. It is perfect for woodland gardens or as a pot plant and performs...

26 / 10 / 2020 | Natasha Lombard | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Freesia alba

 -  see -  Freesia leichtlinii subsp. alba...

22 / 04 / 2015 | | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Flueggea virosa

Flueggea virosa leaves & fruit
Common names: white berry-bush (Eng.); witbessiesbos (Afr.); Mutangahuma (Tshivenda); Mpfalambati (Tsonga); Muhlakaume (Sotho)
Family: Phyllanthaceae

This African plant has become a problem plant in other parts of the world.© Geoff Nichols...

13 / 10 / 2008 | T Ratshibvumo | Walter Sisulu NBG
Read More

Ficus trichopoda

Fruits of F. trichopoda.Copyright Geoff Nichols
Common names: swamp fig, hippo fig (Eng.); moerasvy (Afr.); umvubu (isiZulu); alufubu (Xitsonga)
Family: Moraceae

The swamp or hippo fig is the only indigenous fig species in the southern African region whose aerial roots develop into new stems like the banyan, Ficus...

17 / 04 / 2006 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
Read More

Ficus sycomorus subsp sycomorus 

Ficus sycomorus subsp. sycomorus 
Common names: sycamore fig, common cluster fig, mulberry fig (Eng.); trosvy, geelrriviervy, geelstamvy, gewone trosvy, wildevyeboom, sycomorusvy (Afr.); umkhiwa (Nd
Family: Moraceae

A medium-sized tree with yellowish red edible figs....

03 / 06 / 2019 | Cathbert Makgakga | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Ficus sur

Fruits and tbark of Ficus sur
Common names: broom cluster fig (Eng.); besem-trosvy (Afr.); mogo-tshetlo (North Sotho); umkhiwane (Xhosa); umkhiwane (Zulu)
Family: Moraceae

The broom cluster fig is a key element in the environment providing medicine, food, shade and shelter for all nature of animals, large and small. This...

10 / 02 / 2003 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
Read More

Ficus sansibarica

Ficus sansibarica
Common names: Zanzibar fig, knobbly fig, wild fig (Eng.); knoppiesvy (Afr.); Inkokhokho (Swazi); Mohlapu (SN); Nhlampfu (TS); Mutamvu, Muuno, Muvumo, Mudzulatshinya
Family: Moraceae

This knobbly fig presents an imposing display with its spreading crown and bears enormous fruiting spurs along the stem....

19 / 10 / 2009 | Patrick Mtsweni | Lowveld NBG
Read More

Ficus salicifolia

Ficus salicifolia
Common names: Wonderboom fig (Eng.); wonderboomvy (Afr.); isisantu (isiZulu); umkhiwane, indhlaleni (siSwati); motlhatsa (setswana); mohlatssa, mohlatsiso, monokane
Family: Moraceae

This hardy, spreading, evergreen tree produces fruit that will attract any fruit-loving birds to your garden. It is ideal for large properties and very...

13 / 04 / 2020 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Ficus polita subsp. polita

Ficus polita
Common names: heart-leaved fig, wild rubber fig, wild rubber tree (Eng.); hartblaarvy, wilderubbervy, rubberplant (Afr.); umkhiwane (siSwati.); umkhiwane, umphumel
Family: Moraceae

Next time you attend one of Kirstenbosch’s summer sunset concerts, see if you can spot the Afrotropical Ficus polita subsp. polita, growing on the...

21 / 12 / 2015 | Hannelie Snyman | Compton Herbarium
Read More

Ficus muelleriana

Ficus muelleriana
Common names: wandering rock-fig, Chimanimani rock-fig, Mueller’s climbing fig (Eng.); chimanimanirotsvy (Afr.)
Family: Moraceae

Ficus muelleriana represents a fairly recent discovery. It is a rare, cliff-dwelling, scandent shrub, with beautiful heart-shaped leaves, reddish leaf...

04 / 12 / 2017 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Ficus lutea

Glossy leaves with yellow veins
Common names: giant-leaved fig (Eng.); reuseblaarvy (Afr.); umvubu, omkhulu (Zulu); umthombe, uluzi (Xhosa)
Family: Moraceae

The giant-leaved fig is a magnificent member of the renowned fig family. Like so many of its close relatives, it offers much of ecological and ornamental...

15 / 03 / 2004 | Jan-Hakon Burring | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Ficus ingens

Fruiting branch
Common names: red-leaved rock fig (Eng.); rooiblaarvy (Afr.); mohlatsa (North Sotho); motlhatsa (Tswana); tshikululu (Venda); umthombe (Xhosa); umgonswane (Zulu)
Family: Moraceae

The red-leaved fig is a semi-deciduous, shady tree or rock-splitter, and a beautiful specimen for a large rock garden, but because of its aggressive root-...

28 / 11 / 2005 | Marie Jordaan | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More