Plants of the Week

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E.g., 13/11/2024
E.g., 13/11/2024

Geranium multisectum

Geranium multisectum
Common names: crane's bill
Family: Geraniaceae

 Like pelargoniums, this is a geranium which makes an interesting garden plant....

31 / 12 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dais cotinifolia

Dais cotinifolia at Kirstenbosch
Common names: pompon tree, pincushion tree (Eng.), kannabas, speldekussing, basboom (Afr.), intozani (Xhosa); intozwane-emnyama (Zulu)
Family: Thymelaeaceae

The pompon tree is one of the best known and well-loved indigenous trees, tough enough to be used as a street tree and small enough to fit into most gardens....

25 / 12 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Monopsis unidentata

Monopsis unidentata growing with  a diascia
Common names: wild violet
Family: Lobeliaceae

This lovely, dainty plant caught our attention and was collected growing wild with buffalo grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) around Nature's Valley....

18 / 12 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucadendron salignum

L.salignum
Common names: common sunshine conebush (Eng.); geelbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Leucadendron salignum is the most widespread species of the family Proteaceae, occurring in a large part of South Africa. ...

11 / 12 / 2000 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Scabiosa africana

Scabiosa africana
Common names: Cape Scabious, Pincushion, Koringblom
Family: Dipsacaceae

Seeing Scabiosa africana on the mountain, the first thought is that it must have escaped from a garden nearby. With its big mauve flowers and soft leaves,...

04 / 12 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucospermum tottum

Leucospermum tottum
Common names: ribbon pincushion, elegant pincushion (Eng.); oranjerooi-speldekussing, vuurhoutjies (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Leucospermum tottum is a handsome, much branched shrub whose flowers are excellent for flower arranging....

27 / 11 / 2000 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium cucullatum

Pelargoinium cucullatum
Common names: hooded-leaf pelargonium, herba althaea (Eng.); wildemalva (Afr.)
Family: Geraniaceae

Pelargonium cucullatum is the parent of many modern pelargonium hybrids.  It is a fast growing, tough shrub tolerant to coastal conditions,...

20 / 11 / 2000 | L May | Kirstenbosch NBG
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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
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Aristea capitata

Aristea capitata
Common names: blue sceptre (Eng.); blousuurkanol (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

The Cape is well known for its wealth of beautiful bulbs. If you go walking on Lion's Head above Cape Town in early summer, one of the most striking...

01 / 11 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Lampranthus roseus

Lampranthus roseus
Common names: rose vygie, roosvygie
Family: Aizoaceae

Commonly cultivated shrubby succulents, covered with brilliant pink flowers in spring...

30 / 10 / 2000 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucospermum oleifolium

Leucospermum oleifolium
Common names: Overberg pincushion, tufted pincushion (Eng.); overbergse-speldekussing (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

One of the most rewarding and charming pincushions to plant on its own in a small garden, or together with other fynbos plants in a larger garden....

23 / 10 / 2000 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Acacia nigrescens

This plant is now called Senegalia nigrescens....

12 / 10 / 2000 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucadendron argenteum

Leucadendron argenteum growing wild on the Kirstenbosch Estate.
Common names: silver tree (Eng.), witteboom, silwerboom (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

The sight of these giant silver proteas against the mountain must be one of nature's finest and is one to treasure. These beautiful trees, with their...

02 / 10 / 2000 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cyclopia genistoides

Cyclopia genistoides
Common names: Honeybush tea, Heuningbos
Family: Fabaceae

Honeybush is well known in the Cape, not so much as a garden shrub, but as a herbal tea....

25 / 09 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium cordifolium

Pelargonium cordifolium
Common names: heart-leaved pelargonium
Family: Geraniaceae

Pelargonium cordifolium is a spreading, branched aromatic shrub, reaching a height of more than 1.5 metres....

18 / 09 / 2000 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucospermum cordifolium

Leucospermum cordifolium 'Vlam'
Common names: Pincushion, Common Pincushion (Eng.); Speldekussing, Bobbejaanklou, Luisiesboom, Luisiesbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

From the middle of July to the end of November groups of Leucospermum cordifolium shrubs provide vivid splashed of orange and red in the Fynbos...

11 / 09 / 2000 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica 'Gengold'

Erica 'Gengold' (Peter Swart)
Common names: Gengold Heath
Family: Ericaceae

It is not often that one unearths a gem that has developed by chance. The hybridisation of two species of Erica in the Harold Porter National Botanical...

30 / 08 / 2000 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Heliophila coronopifolia

Heliophila coronopifolia
Common names: Blue Flax, Wild Flax, Showy Sunflax (E), Blousporrie, Sporries (A)
Family: Brassicaceae

This dainty, blue annual is an absolute delight when it comes into flower. Upright and graceful, with small cups of bright blue flowers,the plants appear...

28 / 08 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dimorphotheca pluvialis

Spring annuals at Kirstenbosch
Common names: rain daisy, Cape daisy, white Namaqualand Daisy, ox-eye daisy (Eng.); reënblommetjie, witbotterblom, witmargriet (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Dimorphotheca pluvialis is always one of the first spring annuals to flower at Kirstenbosch....

21 / 08 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Acmadenia heterophylla

Acmadenia heterophylla
Common names: variable-leaf acmadenia
Family: Rutaceae

This is a delicate looking shrub with starry pink flowers and a sweet lemony scent when touched. It belongs to the citrus family (Rutaceae) with most of...

14 / 08 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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