Plants of the Week

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E.g., 14/10/2024

Heywoodia lucens

Heywoodia lucens, looking up the trunk into the canopy. (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: stink-ebony, Cape-ebony, foetid-ebony, black-ebony (Eng.); stinkebbehout, swartebbehout (Afr.); umnebelele (Xho.); umnebelele, ibeyana (Zul.)
Family: Phyllanthaceae

Cape-ebony or stink-ebony as it is also known, is a tall, evergreen tree and the only species in the genus Heywoodia; it is usually found growing in coastal,...

12 / 03 / 2018 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Hexalobus monopetalus

Ripe fruit of Hexalobus monopetalus
Common names: shakama plum, baboon’s breakfast, wild custard apple (Eng.), bastersuikerappel, shakamapruim (Afr.), muhuhuma (Tshivenda), moheteka, mowedika (North
Family: Annonaceae

...

18 / 09 / 2023 | Sithi Ngamlana | Pretoria NBG
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Heteropyxis natalensis

Heteropyxis natalensis
Common names: Lavender Tree, Laventelboom (A), iNkunzi (Z)
Family: Heteropyxidaceae

This is an attractive small tree suitable for townhouse gardens....

24 / 06 / 2002 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Heteropyxis canescens

Heteropyxis canescens
Common names: forest lavender tree (Eng.); boslaventelboom (Afr.); inkunzana (Siswati)
Family: Heteropyxidaceae

The forest lavender tree is an evergreen to semi-deciduous, attractive small tree. It deserves to be utilised more in gardens and landscapes, due to its...

20 / 10 / 2014 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Heteropogon contortus

Heteropogon contortus (L.Fish).
Common names: tanglehead, spear grass (Eng.); pylgras, assegaaigras (Afr.); isitupe (IsiZulu); makurwane (Setswana); selokana, seloka (Sesotho)
Family: Poaceae

A hardy grass that is very attractive and palatable in the early vegetative stages, but becomes less attractive and unpalatable as it matures....

15 / 05 / 2017 | Cynthia Mikateko Baloyi | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Heteromorpha arborescens

Heteromorpha arborescens
Common names: parsley tree (Eng.); wildepietersielie, pietersieliebos (Afr.), umbangadlala (Zul.), umbangadlala, umbangandlatho, umbangeza, iyeza-lempambano (Xho.)
Family: Apiaceae

This small to medium-sized, deciduous tree or straggly shrub is suitable for a small, low-maintenance garden. The bark often helps to distinguish it from...

13 / 10 / 2003 | Shireen Harris | Free State NBG
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Heterolepis aliena

Heterolepis aliena
Common names: rock daisy (Eng.); rotsgousblom (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

When walking through the Mathews Rockery in Kirstenbosch during early summer, it is impossible to miss Heterolepis aliena. It is quite dazzling, covered...

17 / 11 / 2003 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Hessea speciosa

Hessea speciosa
Common names: coconut umbrella lily (Eng.); sambreeltjies (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

A striking, small, bulbous plant with rounded heads of white or pink, coconut scented flowers in autumn, found in southern Namibia and the Northern Cape...

31 / 05 / 2021 | Bhongolethu Mtengwana | TSP
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Hessea mathewsii

Flowering in  habitat
Common names: hessea
Family: Amaryllidaceae

The ethereal umbrella of star-shaped flowers fluttering in the wind, is the ‘stuff fairytales are made of’! Although, quite small, Hessea mathewsii,...

16 / 03 / 2015 | Brittany Arendse | CREW
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Hessea

Hessea stellaris. Colin Paterson-Jones
Common names: umbrella lilies; sambreeltjies (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Hessea, with its delicate, umbrella-like clusters of star-shaped autumn flowers, is designed to delight....

26 / 05 / 2014 | D Snijman | Compton Herbarium
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Hesperantha vaginata

Hesperantha vaginata flowers
Common names: harlequin evening flower (Eng.); harlekynaandblom, perdeblom (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

The bright yellow flowers of Hesperantha vaginata, with their distinctive dark brown markings, have formed a very close evolutionary relationship with...

17 / 10 / 2011 | Colleen Rust | Hantam NBG
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Hesperantha sufflava

Plant in flower:Image copyright Peter Goldblatt
Common names: evening flower (Eng.); aandblom (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Once thought to be extinct in the wild, Hesperantha sufflava, a delicate, cormous perennial, was rediscovered on an urban development site in 2004, antithetically...

09 / 04 / 2007 | C Cowell | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Hesperantha pauciflora

Common names: pink evening flower, pink hesperantha (Eng.); pienkaandblom (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Hesperantha pauciflora is an attractive geophyte growing up to 150 mm high. This plant grows as a deciduous perennial and forms small tubers with a hard...

04 / 04 / 2011 | Eugene Marinus | Hantam NBG
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Hesperantha coccinea

Hesperantha coccinea
Common names: scarlet river lily, crimson flag (Eng.); rooirivierlelie (Afr.); khahlana (Sesotho)
Family: Iridaceae

...

01 / 01 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Hermas villosa

Flowering in habitat
Common names: Tinderleaf (Eng.); tontelblaar (Afr.)
Family: Apiaceae

The creamy green flowers of this fynbos shrublet usually light up the veld from late summer to late autumn. However its allure doesn't stop there....

04 / 03 / 2013 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Hermannia scabra

Hermannia scabra
Common names: scabrid doll’s rose, gold cups (Eng.) poprosie (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

Hermannia scabra is an evergreen shrublet with gorgeous, eye catching, bright yellow, bell-shaped flowers in winter and spring; ideal for fynbos and renosterveld...

14 / 03 / 2022 | Zoleka May | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Hermannia salviifolia

Hermannia salviifolia
Common names: sage-leaf hermannia (Eng.); geneesbossie (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

Hermannia salviifolia is a lovely bushy, soft, shrub with densely hairy, lime green, scarcely toothed leaves and clusters of yellow to orange flowers in...

03 / 01 / 2022 | Thembakazi Dyariwe | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Hermannia saccifera

Hermannia saccifera
Common names: cumin hermannia (Eng.); komynbossie (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

Hermannia saccifera is fairly widespread along the southern coast of South Africa, where it occurs on stony clay slopes from the Riviersonderend mountains...

20 / 08 / 2001 | Bernard Brown | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Hermannia pinnata

Hermannia pinnata flowers
Common names: orange hermannia/doll's rose (Eng.), kwasblaar kruip poprosie (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

Hermannia pinnata is a decorative groundcover, covered in masses of honey-scented pale orange bells in early summer, and ideal for hanging baskets,...

20 / 10 / 2008 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Hermannia nana

Hermannia nana
Common names: windmill doll's rose (Eng.); windpomp poprosie (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

This diminutive yet magnificent species is as yet unknown in horticulture, but is really worth growing as a pot, garden or rock garden subject. It provides...

20 / 04 / 2009 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
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