Plants of the Week

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E.g., 03/12/2024

Portulacaria pygmaea

Portulacaria pygmaea
Common names: pygmy porkbush, dwarf porkbush (Eng.); dwergspekboom (Afr.)
Family: Didiereaceae

The pygmy porkbush is a shrublet with a tuberous, succulent base (caudex), small, grey-green, succulent leaves and small, light purplish, inconspicuous...

14 / 08 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pouzolzia mixta

Leaves of Pouzolzia mixta
Common names: soap-nettle (Eng.); seepnetel, wildebraam (Afr.); isikukuku (IsiNdebele); nthadzwa (Setswana); muthanzwa, murovhadembe (Tshivenda); nthadzwa (Xitsonga
Family: Urticaceae

Pouzolzia mixta is a multi-stemmed shrub with conspicuously bicoloured (two coloured) leaves which are spirally arranged with smooth margins....

02 / 09 / 2013 | T.T. Masupa | Pretoria NBG
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Prenia vanrensburgii

Prenia vanrensburgii
Common names: Cape spinach, sea pumpkin (Eng.); seepampoen, strandspinasie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

A fast-growing, short-lived perennial succulent, endemic to the sunny, windy, littoral seafront or shoreline zone in the coastal parts of the eastern part...

29 / 07 / 2019 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Prionium serratum

Palmiet at Harold Porter NBG
Common names: palmiet (Eng.); palmiet, palmito, wildepalmiet, wilde palmit (Afr.); iNtsikane (Xhosa)
Family: Juncaceae

Palmiet is a robust shrub that plays an important role in mostly the Western Cape river ecology. This water-loving shrub is renowned for its practical...

05 / 09 / 2005 | Phakamani Xaba | Harold Porter NBG
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Protea amplexicaulis

Protea amplexicaulis
Common names: clasping-leaf sugarbush (Eng.); aardroos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

This sprawling protea shyly hides its velvety flowerheads under its unusual grey-green, pink-margined leaves....

31 / 08 / 2015 | Aimee Plutsick | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea angustata

Protea angustata
Common names: Kleinmond sugarbush
Family: Proteaceae

This is a protea you will be lucky to find when walking through the fynbos. Not only are there few plants, but they are also very cryptic. They are low-growing...

16 / 08 / 2010 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
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Protea aristata

Protea aristata, flowerhead.
Common names: Ladismith sugarbush (Eng.); klein-den-suikerbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Protea aristata would surely be among the five best-known South African proteas, even though it had a rather late documented discovery in the 1920s. It...

25 / 01 / 2016 | Megan Blatchford | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea aurea subsp. potbergensis

Protea aurea subsp. potbergensis
Common names: Potberg sugarbush, Potberg shuttlecock protea (Eng.); Potberg-langknopsuikerbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Protea aurea subsp. potbergensis flowers in early winter when little else is flowering in the garden. The flowers are large and when planted en...

03 / 08 / 2009 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea burchellii

Protea burchellii
Common names: Burchell's sugarbush ( Eng. ); blinksuikerbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Protea burchellii is a medium-sized, winter-flowering shrub and a delightful addition to any fynbos garden....

23 / 06 / 2008 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea caffra

Protea caffra
Common names: sugar bush (English); gewone suikerbos (Afrikaans); isiQalaba (Zulu, Xhosa)
Family: Proteaceae

The common sugar bush is one of three proteas which occur in the Witwatersrand area. ...

05 / 02 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Protea compacta

Protea compacta
Common names: Bot River protea, Bot River sugarbush, Compacta ( Eng. ); duinesuikerbos, suikerkan, Botrivier-protea (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

The Bot River sugarbush is ideally suited to the larger coastal fynbos gardens where, if planted en masse , it will provide a pink or white splash...

10 / 09 / 2007 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea comptonii

Protea comptonii
Common names: Barberton mountain sugarbush, Barberton sugarbush, Saddleback sugarbush, Compton’s protea (Eng.); barbertonse bergsuikerbos, barberton-suikerbos, co
Family: Proteaceae

A very impressive standing tree with a rounded, open crown, rich green leaves, and a water-lily-like inflorescence when fully in bloom, made up of white...

26 / 06 / 2023 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea cordata

Leaves and flowers: Photo Amida Johns
Common names: Heart-leaf sugarbush; hartblaarsuikerbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

This little protea is something of a Cinderella before the glass slipper came her way. The flower heads growing at ground level are unobtrusive, small...

15 / 07 / 2013 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
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Protea coronata

Protea coronata flower head
Common names: green protea, green sugarbush (Eng.); groenhofiesuikerbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Protea coronata has bright apple-green inflorescences hidden amongst its silvery foliage; it's not a showy garden shrub but the very attractive...

15 / 09 / 2008 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea cryophila

Protea cryophila
Common names: snow protea, snowball protea (Eng.); sneeuprotea, sneeublom (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Protea cryophila is a sprawling, densely tufted shrub with attractive pink and white flowerheads and leathery, ascending, inward-folded leaves. It is confined...

24 / 10 / 2016 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea curvata

Protea curvata
Common names: Barberton sugarbush, Barberton lowveld sugarbush, serpentine sugarbush (Eng.); barbertonlaeveldsuikerbos, serpentynsuikerbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

...

05 / 10 / 2020 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea cynaroides

Protea cynaroides
Common names: King Protea, Giant Protea (Eng.), Reuse Protea, Koningprotea, Grootsuikerroos, Grootsuikerkan, Bergsuikerkan (Afr.), isiQwane esincinci (isiZhosa)
Family: Proteaceae

Surely the best known protea, prized worldwide as a magnificent cut flower and in South Africa honoured as the national flower....

09 / 07 / 2001 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea eximia

Protea eximia flower head
Common names: broad-leaf sugarbush, duchess protea, (Eng.); breëblaarsuikerbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Protea eximia is a robust, easy-to-grow protea, presenting its showy, deep pink, purple-centred flower heads above greyish green foliage....

24 / 08 / 2009 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea grandiceps

Protea grandiceps
Common names: red sugarbush, red protea (Eng.); rooisuikerbos, rooisuikerkan (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

This is a very slow growing fynbos shrub that produces excellent, long lasting, red flowerheads, beautiful for garden display and as a cut flower, and...

08 / 05 / 2016 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea inopina

Protea inopina, flowerheads fully open and starting to open.
Common names: large-nut sugarbush (Eng.)
Family: Proteaceae

...

26 / 10 / 2020 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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