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., 11/12/2024
E.g., 11/12/2024

Ziziphus rivularis

Ziziphus rivularis (Photo Geoff NIchols)
Common names: false buffalo-thorn, river buffalo thorn, river jujube (Eng.); rivierblinkblaar, vals-wag-’n-bietjie (Afr.); mukhalu-vhufa, mulalantsa (Tshivenda)
Family: Rhamnaceae

Ziziphus rivularis is drought-resistant and has attractive, glossy, olive-green foliage with variable venation, as well as an attractive grey stem. This...

08 / 07 / 2019 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Lannea edulis var. edulis

Lannea edulis var. edulis
Common names: grape lannea, wild grape (Eng.); wildedruif (Afr.); umgabunkhomo (isiZulu); mutsambatsi (siSwati); phepo (Setswana).
Family: Anacardiaceae

A dwarf shrub, with stubby stems arising from a woody rootstock; it bears large leaves compared to the size of the plant. The fruits are edible, with a...

01 / 07 / 2019 | Fergy Nkadimeng | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
Read More

Willdenowia incurvata

Willdenowia incurvata
Common names: sonkwas restio (Eng.); sonkwasriet (Afr.)
Family: Restionaceae

This is a tough, densely tufted plant that can be used as an accent plant and is ideal for fynbos gardens. The plants produce attractive brown bracts during...

01 / 07 / 2019 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Sporobolus africanus

Sporobolus africanus
Common names: rat’s tail dropseed, rat’s tail grass, rush grass, tough dropseed (Eng.); fynsaadgras, saadgras, taaipol, vleigras, rotstert, taaipolfynsaadgras (
Family: Poaceae

Sporobolus africanus is a tough, palatable, perennial grass with a low leaf production. It is a good indicator of disturbed veld....

24 / 06 / 2019 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Equilabium laxiflorum

Equilabium laxiflorum
Common names: citronella dutch-pipe-sage (Eng.); sitrinella-kromsteelpypsalie (Afr.); ubebebe (isiXhosa)
Family: Lamiaceae

An erect, easy-to-grow, aromatic, herbaceous shrub with decorative, light green foliage, suitable for planting in humid, moist and slightly shaded areas...

24 / 06 / 2019 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Xanthocercis zambesiaca

Xanthocercis zambesiaca
Common names: nyala tree (Eng.); njalaboom, hoenderspoor (Afr.); moladi (Setswana); umhlwati (siSwati); mutshato (Tshivenda)
Family: Fabaceae

This is a large impressive, evergreen tree with an exceptional dense, rounded to wide-spreading crown of glossy, drooping, dark green leaves and sprays...

17 / 06 / 2019 | Winfred Velephi Ngwenya | Lowveld NBG
Read More

Lachenalia reflexa

Lachenalia reflexa
Common names: yellow soldier
Family: Hyacinthaceae

A bulbous plant with bright yellow, urn-shaped flowers, and ascending, strap-shaped leaves; this winter-flowering plant is in danger of extinction in its...

17 / 06 / 2019 | Mpho Mathalauga | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
Read More

Disa nivea

Disa nivea
Common names: snow disa
Family: Orchidaceae

Its common name may suggest the pure white colour of the flowers, the red spots, however, carries the mystery for its survival, where it occurs in the...

10 / 06 / 2019 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW
Read More

Asparagus rubicundus

Asparagus rubicundus
Common names: red-stemmed asparagus, wild asparagus (Eng.); wag-‘n-bietjie, swart haakdoring (Afr.)
Family: Asparagaceae

An erect thorny shrub with glossy, reddish brown, thorny stems, soft feathery foliage and starry white flowers, and one of the fastest growing species...

10 / 06 / 2019 | Loretta Floors | Harold Porter 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

Elegia filacea

Elegia filacea
Common names: little golden curls
Family: Restionaceae

A magnificent small, upright, tufted restio that shows off its golden–tan sheaths and bracts in early to midsummer, and makes a spectacular filler...

03 / 06 / 2019 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Eucomis montana

Eucomis montana
Common names: montane pineapple flower
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This is one of the six bicoloured species of Eucomis and one of the few dwarf species, occurring in the Mpumalanga Province....

27 / 05 / 2019 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG
Read More

Trachyandra falcata

Veldkool (Tralchyandra falcata) plant flowering in its native habitat near Langebaan, Western Cape.
Common names: Namaqua wild cabbage (Eng.); namakwakool, veldkool, bokkool (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Trachyandra falcata is a fast-growing, summer-dormant, perennial geophyte, easily propagated from seed. The young inflorescences are harvested in winter...

27 / 05 / 2019 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Euphorbia bupleurifolia

Euphorbia bupleurifolia
Common names: cycad spurge, pine cone plant (Eng.); melkbol (Afr.); intsele, insema (Xho.); inkamamasane, insema (Zul.)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Resembling a pine cone, pineapple or, some may say, a cycad, Euphorbia bupleurifolia is one interesting Euphorbia....

20 / 05 / 2019 | Sibahle Gumede | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
Read More

Orbea melanantha

Orbea melanantha
Common names: short-lobed brown carrion flower, black or dark flowered caralluma (Eng.); kort-lob bruin aasblom (Afr.)
Family: Apocynaceae

A mat-forming succulent that can spread on the surface of the soil with no trace of underground rhizomes, this water-wise plant will be an excellent addition...

20 / 05 / 2019 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Babiana sambucina subsp. sambucina

Babiana sambucina subsp. sambucina
Common names: fragrant babiana (Eng.); bobbejaantjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Babiana sambucina subsp. sambucina is an attractive, dwarf, spring-flowering bulbous plant, which is drought tolerant and water-wise....

13 / 05 / 2019 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
Read More

Carpanthea pomeridiana

Carpanthea pomeridiana
Common names: carpanthea (Eng.); vetkousie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Carpanthea pomeridiana is an easily propagated, fast-growing annual, endemic to the sandy coastal regions of the Western Cape. It has golden-yellow flowers...

13 / 05 / 2019 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Combretum hereroense

Combretum hereroense
Common names: russet bushwillow, mouse-eared combretum (Eng.); kierieklapper (Afr.); mokabi (Northern Sotho); mugavhi (Venda); umhlalavane (Zulu)
Family: Combretaceae

Combretum hereroense is a valuable species that has interesting horticultural characters all year round; the leaves and seed pods turn coppery, and a touch...

06 / 05 / 2019 | Refilwe Maria Malatji | Pretoria NBG
Read More

Otholobium bracteolatum

Otholobium bracteolatum
Common names: strand dottypea (Eng.); skaapbostee, swawelbos (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

A resilient, beautiful, sprawling shrub, not easily missed because of its pretty mauve and white flowers, which are borne in dense rounded inflorescences...

06 / 05 / 2019 | Naomi Mdayi | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
Read More

Haworthiopsis coarctata

Haworthiopsis coarctata
Common names: crowded haworthiopsis
Family: Asphodelaceae

A delightful little succulent that makes a very attractive and singular, small house plant or groundcover in the garden....

29 / 04 / 2019 | Katlego Selemela | Walter Sisulu NBG
Read More