Plants of the Week

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E.g., 11/10/2024
E.g., 11/10/2024

Plectranthus laxiflorus

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

See Equilabium laxiflorum ...

07 / 06 / 2020 | |
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Plectranthus grandidentatus

Common names: big-teeth coleus, scented-leaf coleus (Eng.); groottandsalie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

See Coleus grandidentatus...

07 / 06 / 2020 | |
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Plectranthus esculentus

Common names: wild potato, veld potato, African potato, Livingstone potato (Eng.); veldaartappel, wilde-aartappel (Afr.); itapile (Xhosa); tsenza (Shona); mutada (V
Family: Lamiaceae

see Coleus esculentus...

06 / 06 / 2020 | |
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Gladiolus stefaniae

Gladiolus stefaniae
Common names: Montagu gladiolus (Eng.); Montagu kliplelie (Afr.) (meaning rock lily)
Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus stefaniae is a cormous, autumn-flowering plant, with exquisite, large, scarlet or carmine blooms. Although rare in the wild, its cultivation...

01 / 06 / 2020 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gladiolus monticola

Gladiolus monticola
Common names: mountain painted lady, autumn painted lady (Eng.); bergpypie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

When you find yourself walking on the top of Table Mountain in February or March, you might be fortunate to lay eyes on this rare beauty with its delicately...

01 / 06 / 2020 | Ismail Ebrahim | CREW
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Eriosema preptum

Eriosema preptum (Photo Alison Young)
Common names: distinguished eriosema
Family: Fabaceae

A perennial herb with attractive yellow-orange flowers, that is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal. ...

25 / 05 / 2020 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Pelargonium gibbosum

Pelargonium gibbosum
Common names: gouty pelargonium, knotted pelargonium (Eng.); dikbeenmalva, knopmalva (Afr.),
Family: Geraniaceae

...

25 / 05 / 2020 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ledebouria linioseta

Ledebouria linioseta
Common names: scented African hyacinth
Family: Hyacinthaceae

A cryptic, dwarf, bulbous plant species; the plants hiding between huge boulders in the hills around a small town above the Mpumalanga escarpment, producing...

18 / 05 / 2020 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Erica curvirostris

Erica curvirostris
Common names: honey heath, honey-scented heath (Eng.); heuningheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

A small shrub, covered with masses of small, pale pink, bell-shaped, honey-scented flowers in late summer and autumn, the driest time of the year in the...

18 / 05 / 2020 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Othonna cakilefolia

Othonna cakilefolia (Photo Nick Helme)
Common names: sea-rocket othonna (Eng.); bobbejaankool (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

One of only three Othonna species with pink to magenta florets; its striking, pink daisy-like flower heads, make it a desirable member of the genus.Fig....

11 / 05 / 2020 | Xichavo Mathebula | Compton Herbarium
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Euchaetis albertiniana

Euchaetis albertiniana
Common names: Albertinia bearded buchu, Albertinia mothflower
Family: Rutaceae

An amazingly hardy, small shrub from the limestone fynbos. It’s a diehard and can last for years! This endangered shrublet is a useful filler for...

11 / 05 / 2020 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Coleus amboinicus

Coleus amboinicus
Common names: African thyme, French thyme, country borage, Indian borage, Indian mint, broad-leaf thyme, soup mint (Eng.); Afrika-tiemie, krui-spoorsalie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

A sprawling perennial with strongly and pleasantly aromatic, fleshy, serrated leaves and mauve, two-lipped flowers in summer and autumn. A useful, easily...

04 / 05 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elegia fenestrata

Elegia fenestrata
Common names: stream golden-reed
Family: Restionaceae

This rare restio has a spreading habit, thick, dark green culms (stems) with large, attractive, chestnut-brown sheaths (reduced leaves) at intervals up...

04 / 05 / 2020 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Kleinia venteri

Kleinia venteri
Common names: Venter’s kleinia (Eng.); uitlopertjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

An unusual, cryptic, stoloniferous succulent up to 70 mm high, with flat, oblong, rolled back, succulent leaves and inconspicuous flowers in winter. This...

27 / 04 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Stadmania oppositifolia subsp. rhodesica

Stadmania oppositifolia supsp. rhodesica
Common names: silky-plum (Eng.); sypruim (Afr.)
Family: Sapindaceae

An awesome small tree with the most attractive flowers and fruits....

27 / 04 / 2020 | Sephatle Evans Molekoa | Lowveld NBG
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Leucospermum harpagonatum

Leucospermum harpagonatum
Common names: McGregor pincushion
Family: Proteaceae

An unusual creeping, mat-forming pincushion, with reddish, trailing stems and pinkish red flower heads in spring, that makes a pleasant groundcover for...

20 / 04 / 2020 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cephalaria zeyheriana

Cephalaria zeyheriana
Common names: mock scabious
Family: Dipsacaceae

A well-adapted grassland perennial with elongated inflorescence stalks, white or creamy white flower heads, with protruding stamens. Known from the northern...

20 / 04 / 2020 | Mulweli Maswoliedza | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Podocarpus falcatus

Common names: Outeniqua yellowwood (English), Outeniekwageelhout (Afrikaans) mogôbagôba (Northern Sotho), umsonti (Zulu).
Family: Podocarpaceae

See Afrocarpus falcatus....

14 / 04 / 2020 | | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Petalidium oblongifolium

Petalidium oblongifolium
Common names: blue petalidium, blue petal-bush (Eng.); bloubos, blou-tongklapper (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

A beautiful small shrub with silvery leaves and attractive blue flowers in summer; a hardy, water-wise plant for sun or semi-shade....

13 / 04 / 2020 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG
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Ficus salicifolia

Ficus salicifolia
Common names: Wonderboom fig (Eng.); wonderboomvy (Afr.); isisantu (isiZulu); umkhiwane, indhlaleni (siSwati); motlhatsa (setswana); mohlatssa, mohlatsiso, monokane
Family: Moraceae

This hardy, spreading, evergreen tree produces fruit that will attract any fruit-loving birds to your garden. It is ideal for large properties and very...

13 / 04 / 2020 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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