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., 22/12/2024
E.g., 22/12/2024

Lycium afrum

Lycium afrum (Hedi Stummer)
Common names: kraal honeythorn (Eng.); kraaldoring, kraalkriedoring, slangbessie, bokdoring (Afr.)
Family: Solanaceae

Coming from an economically important family of flowering plants, this is a robust, stiffly branched, moderate sized, thorny shrub, that may grow to be...

25 / 04 / 2016 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Loxostylis alata

Loxostylis alata
Common names: Wild Pepper Tree, Tarwood, Tigerwood (Eng.), Wildepeperboom, Breekhout, Tederhout, Teerhout, Tierhout (Afr.), Isibara (Zulu), Isibara (Xhosa)
Family: Anacardiaceae

A small, well-shaped tree with glossy foliage tinged with red when young and masses of white flowers in early summer, and if the tree is a female it has...

27 / 07 / 2001 | Robert Archer | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Lotononis calycina

Lotononis calycina herb
Common names: hairy Lotononis, namele (Sotho )
Family: Fabaceae

A small flat-growing yellow-flowered leguminous herb graces the dreary Highveld landscape in early spring. This delicate silvery plant highlights the importance...

15 / 11 / 2010 | Alicia Grobler | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Lobostemon montanus

Lobostemon montanus shrub
Common names: mountain lobostemon (Eng.); agtdaegeneesbos (Afr.)
Family: Boraginaceae

Lobostemon montanus is a shrub from the Borage family with unusually large leaves for the genus, which are complemented by a cluster of pale blue...

15 / 08 / 2011 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Lobostemon fruticosus

Lobostemon fruticosus
Common names: pajama bush ( Eng. ); agtdaegeneesbos, douwurmbos, luibos, lobos (Afr.)
Family: Boraginaceae

Used as a popular old Cape remedy, this small shrub always attracts admiration with its showy blue and pink flowers....

24 / 10 / 2005 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Lobostemon belliformis

Lobostemon belliformis
Common names: Gouriqua lobostemon (Eng.); Gouriqua agtdaegeneesbos (Afr.)
Family: Boraginaceae

Lobostemon belliformis is an incredibly rare and fabulous shrub from the Borage family; it is spectacular in bloom with its clusters of red tubular...

01 / 08 / 2011 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Lobostemon

Lobostemon fruticosus flowers
Common names: pajama bush
Family: Boraginaceae

This endemic genus, with numerous species of densely flowered, attractive shrubs, provides a splash of colour in the early spring, long before other popular...

02 / 10 / 2006 | M Buys | Compton Herbarium
Read More

Lobelia valida

Lobelia valida
Common names: limestone lobelia, galjoen flower (Eng.); galjoenblom (Afr.)
Family: Lobeliaceae

True blue flowers are always special. Worldwide they are sought after, a rare colour to find in a flower. The colour is striking by itself, breathtaking...

06 / 11 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Lobelia pubescens

Lobelia pubescens
Common names: rock lobelia
Family: Lobeliaceae

This low-growing, bushy perennial, occurring near the coast, flowers from late spring to autumn. It will make a showy container plant, a lovely addition...

16 / 04 / 2018 | Karen Wall | Harold Porter NBG
Read More

Lobelia jasionoides

Flowers
Common names: No well known common name.
Family: Lobeliaceae

This charming, herbaceous, perennial groundcover with masses of tiny lilac and white flowers is suited to light shady places but will also grow in full...

11 / 11 / 2013 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
Read More

Lobelia aquaemontis

Lobelia aquaemontis at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Waterberg lobelia
Family: Lobeliaceae

Flowering with masses of sky-blue flowers, this delicate little lobelia gives a lovely display for many months in summer....

02 / 04 / 2007 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Lobelia anceps

Lobelia anceps groundcover
Common names: angled lobelia, swamp lobelia
Family: Lobeliaceae

If you are looking for an attractive groundcover for a wet or boggy area, the swamp lobelia could be the perfect plant for you!...

23 / 05 / 2011 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
Read More

Lobelia

Lobelia erinus
Family: Lobeliaceae

A large cosmopolitan genus of many garden ornamentals of which the popular Lobelia erinus is one of the sixty-nine species native to South Africa....

29 / 11 / 2004 | C Cupido | Compton Herbarium
Read More

Lithops optica

Lithops optica
Common names: Lüderitz Living Stone, Lüderitz Stone Plant, Lüderitz Beeskloutjie
Family: Aizoaceae

Lithops are probably the most well known and popular member of the large succulent plant family, the Aizoaceae. They are commonly called living stones...

01 / 04 / 2002 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Lithops olivacea

Lithops olivacea
Common names: stone plant (Eng.); beeskloutjie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Lithops species are probably amongst the most well-camouflaged and cryptic plants in the world. Their common name, stone plant, is particularly apt, as...

16 / 06 / 2003 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Lithops

Lithops in flower
Common names: living stones, stone plants (Eng.); beeskloutjies, perdeklou (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Lithops are one of the most popular of all the succulents. These fat, cheeky little succulents plants have been grown for decades by amateur and professional...

25 / 07 / 2005 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
Read More

Litanthus pusillus

Litanthus pusilus
Common names: TomThumb hyacinth, Kleinduimpie-hiasint (Afr.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

The Tom Thumb hyacinth (Litanthus pusilus) is a dwarf bulbous plant, widespread but little known due to its size: William Harvey (1844) who first described...

09 / 02 / 2009 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Lippia javanica

Flowers. Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: fever tea, lemon bush (English); koorsbossie, beukesbossie, lemoenbossie (Afrikaans); mutswane, umsutane (Swati); inzinziniba (Xhosa); umsuzwane, umsw
Family: Verbenaceae

For the avid herb gardener with an interest in medicinal plants Lippia javanica with its dense creamy white, flower heads and aromatic leaves...

24 / 05 / 2004 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
Read More

Liparia splendens subsp. splendens

Liparia splendens subsp.splendens
Common names: mountain dahlia, orange nodding-head (Eng.), bergdahlia, geelkoppie, skaamblom (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

Liparia splendens is a beautiful fynbos shrub with striking bright orange-yellow, nodding flowerheads in winter-summer, a rare find both in the wild...

17 / 03 / 2008 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Liparia parva

Liparia parva
Common names: small mountain dahlia, yellow nodding-head (Eng.); kleinbergdahlia, kleingeelkoppie (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

This elusive shrublet is a localized species with a restricted natural habitat. Not too many people have seen this dainty plant, which makes it extremely...

26 / 06 / 2017 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More