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., 23/12/2024
E.g., 23/12/2024

Pteronia aspera

Pteronia aspera
Common names: sand gumbush (Eng.); sandgombos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A floriferous, medicinally important shrub, with huge cultural value and commercial potential....

07 / 10 / 2019 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Pteronia incana

Pteronia incana
Common names: ash bush, blue bush, wild lavender bush (Eng.), asbos, asbossie, bloubos, laventelbossie, kraakbos (Afr.).
Family: Asteraceae

This unpalatable, aromatic, dwarf shrub with beautiful, dusty grey foliage and bright yellow flowers in spring and early summer, is one of the most widely...

16 / 08 / 2021 | Thabang Makola | Karoo Desert NBG
Read More

Pteronia paniculata

Pteronia paniculata
Common names: gum-bush (Eng.); gombos, gombossie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

...

22 / 03 / 2021 | Thabang Makola | Karoo Desert NBG
Read More

Pteronia stricta

Plant in flower
Common names: kaatjiegert, kaatjiegertbossie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Pteronia stricta is an upright shrub with showy yellow flower heads that appear almost throughout the year....

06 / 10 / 2014 | Hannelie Snyman | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Pteronia uncinata

Growing in Kirstenboschj
Common names: coast gumbush (Eng.); strandgombos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This honey scented shrublet is a must-have for any coastal garden in the winter rainfall region of South Africa....

17 / 02 / 2014 | Zoleka Maphanga | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
Read More

Putterlickia pyracantha

Putterlickia pyracantha
Common names: false spike-thorn, fire-thorn putterlickia (Eng.); valspendoring, branddoring (Afr.); intlangwana, umhlangwe, umqaqoba (Xho.)
Family: Celastraceae

An awesome multi-stemmed shrub or small tree, with the most attractive flowers that become redder and more showy after they open. Its spiny character makes...

12 / 10 / 2020 | Sephatle Evans Molekoa | Lowveld NBG
Read More

Pycnostachys reticulata

Common names: prickly sage, blue soldier sage (Eng.); stekelsalie (Afr.); umvuthuza, uhlalawane (Zulu)
Family: Lamiaceae

See Coleus kirkii ...

07 / 06 / 2020 | | Lowveld NBG
Read More

Pycnostachys urticifolia

Common names: hedgehog sage, large hedgehog flower, prickly sage, blue boys, nettle-leaf pycnostachys, dark blue pycnostachys (Eng.); ystervarksalie, groot ystervar
Family: Lamiaceae

See Coleus livingstonei...

07 / 06 / 2020 | | Lowveld NBG
Read More

Pyrrosia

Pyrrosia africana
Common names: felt ferns
Family: Polypodiaceae

Pyrrosia is a genus of mostly epiphytic and simple-leaved ferns....

02 / 05 / 2005 | Koos Roux | Compton Herbarium
Read More

Pyrrosia schimperiana

Pyrrosia schimperiana growing on a cliff at Mariepskop, Blyde River Canyon.
Common names: canyon fern (Eng.); afgrondvaring (Afr.)
Family: Polypodiaceae

A rare fern, only known from the Blyde River Canyon in the Mpumalanga Province, confined to sheer cliffs. The plant grows in small, dense clusters, with...

27 / 03 / 2017 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Quaqua mammilaris

Quaqua mammilaris
Common names: aroena (Afr.); aroena, oruna (Khoi)
Family: Apocynaceae

Aroena makes an interesting addition to any dry veld-food garden....

12 / 10 / 2015 | Lize Wolfaardt | Karoo Desert NBG
Read More

Rabiea albinota

Rabiea albinota, in flower.
Common names: clock plant (Eng.); s'keng-kengvygie (Afr.); s`keng-keng (Griqua)
Family: Aizoaceae

When in a powdered state, the s'keng-keng is amongst numerous psychotropic plants that are able to alter the mind and mood of an individual....

25 / 01 / 2016 | Ndamase Nozuko | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Radinosiphon leptostachya

Radinosiphon leptostachya
Common names: slender-spiked radinosiphon (Eng.); blou angelier (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Radinosiphon leptostachya is a cormous deciduous perennial plant with slender stems and pink flowers in summer, that thrives in rocky environments amongst...

24 / 06 / 2024 | Ziphezinhle Madonsela | Lowveld NBG
Read More

Rafnia triflora

Rafnia triflora flowers
Common names: three-flower rafnia
Family: Fabaceae

Rafnia triflora is a little known but striking fynbos shrub, with blue green leaves and bright yellow flowers in summer....

29 / 03 / 2010 | Musawenkosi Ndlovu | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Ranunculus baurii

Common names: Drakensberg buttercup, nasturtium-leaved buttercup, large-leaved ranunculus (Eng.); qojoana (seSotho)
Family: Ranunculaceae

See Peltocalathos baurii...

31 / 07 / 2024 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Ranunculus multifidus

Ranunculus multifidus. Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: wild buttercup, common buttercup, African buttercup (Eng.); botterblom, brandblare, kankerblare, geelbotterblom, rhenoster (Afr.); hlapi (Sesotho); is
Family: Ranunculaceae

Wild Buttercup is a small evergreen herb, with bright green leaves and masses of yellow flowers in summer, that grows well in damp grassland and spreads...

26 / 12 / 2022 | T.T. Masupa | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Rapanea melanophloeos

Rapanea melanophloeos
Common names: Cape Beech (Eng.); Boekenhout, Beukehout (Afr.); IsiCalabi, umaPhipha, iKhubalwane, isiQalaba sehlati (Zulu); isiQwane sehlati (Xhosa); iGcolo, udzili
Family: Myrsinaceae

The graceful Cape Beech is a hardy tree for a large, coastal garden setting, and for windy areas....

04 / 04 / 2005 | Phakamani Xaba | Harold Porter NBG
Read More

Raphia australis

Image of Raphia tree
Common names: Kosi palm (Eng. & Afr.); umVuma (Zulu); iMali (Ronga)
Family: Arecaceae

Palms have the largest leaves of all trees, and Raphia has the largest leaves of all palms. One species of these monsters is indigenous to South Africa,...

12 / 07 / 2004 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
Read More

Raphionacme hirsuta

Raphionacme hirsuta
Common names: false gentian, khadi-root (Eng.); khadiwortel, khadi (Afr.); kherenchane (SSo.); intsema (Xho.); umathangane, umathanjana (Zul.)
Family: Apocynaceae

An attractive, small, summer-growing perennial, with a large, tuberous root and pretty starry flowers in shades of purple, mauve and white, in early summer....

08 / 01 / 2018 | Stemmer Ngalo | Free State NBG
Read More

Raspalia trigyna

Flowers
Common names: Pondoland ghost bush
Family: Bruniaceae

The flowering plant family Bruniaceae is almost entirely endemic to fynbos, the typical vegetation of the Cape Floral Kingdom of the Western and Eastern...

19 / 05 / 2008 | Lize Von Staden | TSP
Read More