Plants of the Week

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E.g., 03/10/2024
E.g., 03/10/2024

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Obetia tenax

Obetia tenax
Common names: mountain nettle, rock tree-nettle, tree nettle, giant nettle, stinging nettle tree (Eng.); bergbrandnetel, rotsbrandnetel (Afr.); lebati (Northern Sot
Family: Urticaceae

An awesome small tree with the most striking flowers and leaves with stinging hairs, that can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable....

14 / 10 / 2019 | Sephatle Evans Molekoa | Lowveld NBG
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Ochna

Ochna pulchra
Common names: wild planes, mickey-mouse plants
Family: Ochnaceae

All species of Ochna have very attractive yellow flowers, with an unusual persistent calyx that enlarges when in fruit, becoming cream-coloured, pink...

03 / 08 / 2009 | M.S. Mothogoane | Pretoria NBG
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Ochna natalitia

Ochna natalitia
Common names: showy plane, coastal- boxwood, coastal- redwood, Natal plane (Eng.); pronkrooihout, Natalrooihout (Afr.); mbovu, isithundu (isiZulu); tshipfure (Tshiv
Family: Ochnaceae

Ochna natalitia is a wonderful, large shrub to small tree, not yet fully harnessed by gardeners, and offers an attractive display almost continuously through...

14 / 09 / 2015 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ochna pretoriensis

Flowers: Image Beate \Ssachse
Common names: Magalies plane ( Eng. ); Magalies-rooihout (Afr.)
Family: Ochnaceae

Ochna pretoriensis is one of the magnificent evergreen shrubs in South Africa, especially in the warm northern regions of South Africa. It flowers...

28 / 04 / 2008 | A Mothapo | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Ochna pulchra

Common names: peeling plane, peeling-bark ochna (Eng.); lekkerbreek (Afr.); monyelewyele (Tswana); monamane, mopha (Northern Sotho); musuma, murambo, tshithothonya
Family: Ochnaceae

This species is better known by its Afrikaans name, lekkerbreek. This is most probably one of South Africa 's most beautiful trees, but also one of...

27 / 06 / 2005 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG
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Ochna serrulata

Flowers of Ochna serrulata
Common names: Mickey Mouse bush, small-leaved plane, carnival bush (Eng.); fynblaarrooihout (Afr.); Umbomvane (Zulu); iliTye (Xhosa)
Family: Ochnaceae

This is certainly a shrub that every gardener should have in their garden, not only because of its beautiful yellow flowers, but also because of its attractive...

02 / 12 / 2002 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ocimum labiatum

Ocimum labiatum
Common names: pink sage bush, shell bush (Eng.); pienksalie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

A  stunning drought-hardy ornamental shrub which thrives in full sun or partial shade, flowering prolifically from early summer to late autumn....

17 / 12 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Ocimum obovatum

Ocimum obovatum
Common names: cat's whiskers ( Eng. ); katsnor (Afr.); Idada, Iziba, Ufukuzela, Umathanjane (Zulu)
Family: Lamiaceae

Erect and sometimes spreading, low-growing perennial herb, this plant is an excellent link between lawn and a shrubby border. It is a good candidate for...

04 / 07 / 2005 | T Mukoma | Lowveld NBG
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Ocotea bullata

Ocotea bullata leaves. Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: stinkwood, black stinkwood, Cape laurel, (Eng), stinkhout, swartstinkhout, laurelhout (Afr), umnukani (Zulu), umhlungulu (Xhosa)
Family: Lauraceae

The black stinkwood, or stinkwood as it is commonly known, is a large evergreen tree suitable for large gardens and parks. Along with yellowood, its timber...

06 / 03 / 2006 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ocotea kenyensis

Ocotea kenyensis leaves
Common names: northern stinkwood, false stinkwood, bastard stinkwood, mock stinkwood, Transvaal stinkwood (Eng), noordelikestinkhout, vals-stinkhout, basterstinkhou
Family: Lauraceae

A big, attractive, fast-growing, evergreen tree of up to 30 m height with a much-branched, rounded canopy of simple, glossy, usually aromatic leaves, with...

06 / 03 / 2023 | Winfred Velephi Ngwenya | Lowveld NBG
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Oftia africana

Oftia africana
Common names: lazy bush (Eng.); koekblommetjiesbos, sukkelbossie (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Rough to the touch, this shrublet has pretty white flowers that have a sweet, chocolaty fragrance....

17 / 07 / 2017 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Oldenburgia grandis

Oldeburgia  grandis
Common names: Suurberg cushion bush, mountain hunchback, rabbit's ears, lamb's ears, donkey's ears (Eng.); Suurbergkussingbos, Suurbergse dikblaarlepelboom, basters
Family: Asteraceae

Oldenburgia grandis is a remarkable, small, thick-set, tree similar in appearance to some tree proteas, but this strange plant's thistle-like flowers...

02 / 02 / 2004 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Oldenburgia paradoxa

Oldenburgia paradoxa
Common names: cliff cushion bush (Eng.); klipkreupelbos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Oldenburgia paradoxa is an unusual cushion-shaped species of the daisy family that grows on rocks in the Cape mountains and looks like an alpine plant....

08 / 09 / 2014 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Olea capensis

subsp. macrocarpa
Common names: (subsp. capensis ) small ironwood , black ironwood, buchuwood, buckutree, false ironwood (Eng.); kleinysterhout , basterswartysterhout, basterysterhou
Family: Oleaceae

Happy the grandchild who inherits a garden shaded by a black ironwood tree, for they have grandparents of great foresight and intelligence. These trees...

09 / 12 / 2013 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Olea europaea subsp. africana

Fruits of Olea europaea subsp, africana
Common names: wild olive, olienhout (Afr.), mohlware (NSotho, SSotho), umnquma (Zulu, Xhosa, Swati), mutlhwari (Venda), motlhware (Tswana)
Family: Oleaceae

...

18 / 11 / 2002 | Pitta Joffe | Pretoria NBG
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Olea exasperata

Olea exasperata
Common names: dune olive, coast olive (Eng.); duineolien, glashoutolien, slanghout, vlashoutolien, basterolienhout (Afr.)
Family: Oleaceae

Olea exasperata, one of the wild olive trees of South Africa, is an ornamental shrub or small tree that generally occurs in coastal scrub, on sand dunes...

18 / 11 / 2019 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Olinia emarginata

Berries of Olinia emarginata
Common names: mountain hard pear (Eng.); berghardpeer (Afr.)
Family: Oliniaceae

Olinia emarginata is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree, with attractive flowers and berries which makes for an attractive garden ornamental,...

04 / 06 / 2001 | Berenice Carolus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Olinia ventosa

Flowers
Common names: hard pear ( Eng. ); hardepeer (Afr.); umNgenalahla, iNgobamakhosi, iNqudu, umNonono (Xhosa)
Family: Oliniaceae

This beautiful tree makes a striking impression in spring when it is in full flower and is a good choice for a shade tree or focal point in a garden with...

30 / 01 / 2006 | Penny Jaffe | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Oncoba spinosa

Oncoba spinosa (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: snuff-box tree (Eng.); snuifkalbassie (Afr.)
Family: Salicaceae

This spiny shrub or small tree with pretty white flowers is known for the snuff boxes that can be made from its hard-shelled fruit....

29 / 11 / 2004 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG
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Oncosiphon grandiflorum

Oncosiphon grandiflorum
Common names: matricaria (Engl.); groot stinkkruid, knoppies-stinkkruid, stinkkruid (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This tall, button-flowered annual is ideal for larger gardens and can be grown as a spring and summer annual....

05 / 10 / 2015 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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