Plants of the Week

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E.g., 15/01/2025
E.g., 15/01/2025

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Gladiolus phoenix

Gladiolus phoenix
Common names: ash lady (Eng.)
Family: Iridaceae

A Critically Rare, highly localized endemic from the Bain’s Kloof Mountains. It produces bright pink flowers only in the first year after a fire,...

13 / 01 / 2025 | Nokukhanya Nozipho Mhlongo | TSP
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Selago corymbosa

Selago corymbosa flowers
Common names: bitter bush, poverty bush (Eng.); bitterblombos, bitterblombossie, blombos, blombossie (Afr.); iyeza lamaqakuva (isiXhosa)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Selago corymbosa is an unassuming, dainty, herbaceous perennial with white flowers in summer, a great addition to any home garden....

13 / 01 / 2025 | Karen Wall | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Helichrysum pedunculatum

Helichrysum pedunculatum
Common names: pedunculate helichrysum (Eng.), isicwe (isiXhosa & isiZulu)
Family: Asteraceae

Helichrysum pedunculatum is a perennial herb that is distinguished by its large flower heads and aromatic, bicoloured leaves that are glossy above and...

06 / 01 / 2025 | Mashudu Tshitereke | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Marasmodes defoliata

Marasmodes defoliata capitula
Common names: shedding autumn-aster
Family: Asteraceae

The long, narrow, leaves of Marasmodes defoliata are shed at an early stage (caducous) exposing its slender stems, leaving them bare. Its bell-shaped,...

06 / 01 / 2025 | Naomi Mdayi | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Gloriosa rigidifolia

Gloriosa rigidifolia
Common names: Waterberg bells, butter lily, yellow lily (Eng.); geelklokkies (Afr.)
Family: Colchicaceae

Waterberg bells is a strict endemic from the Waterberg Plateau and not known in cultivation. It usually grows in rocky situations in full sun or dappled...

30 / 12 / 2024 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Erica thomae

Erica thomae
Common names: flypaper heath (Eng.); vliegpapierheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica thomae is a variable species with white, pale green or pink, tubular, very sticky flowers over quite a long flowering period; it starts to show off...

30 / 12 / 2024 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos humilis

Encephalartos humilis
Common names: dwarf cycad (Eng.); dwergbroodboom (Afr.); sijekwane (SiSwati)
Family: Zamiaceae

A small and inconspicuous, clump-forming, evergreen, dioecious, cone-bearing plant, arising from an underground stem, often growing wedged between low...

23 / 12 / 2024 | Mlondi Sikhosana | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Morella pilulifera

Morella pilulifera
Common names: broad-leaved waxberry (Eng.); breëblaarwasbessie (Afr.); umbhemiso (isiZulu); maluleka, meluleka (siSwati); tshifhangwana (Tshivenda); nyamvura (Shon
Family: Myricaceae

Morella pilulifera is a multi-purpose shrub or small tree with yellowish-green leaves, catkin-like flowers and dense clusters of black berries along the...

23 / 12 / 2024 | Yolanda Nhlumayo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Geissorhiza ovata

Geissorhiza ovata
Common names: pink satin flower (Eng.); pienk satynblom (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

A dainty bulbous plant with white and pink flowers in spring, that blooms profusely after a fire....

16 / 12 / 2024 | Loretta Floors | Harold Porter NBG
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Alepidea macowani

Alepidea macowani
Common names: Amathole alepidea, MacOwan’s alepidea (Eng.); kalmoes (Afr.); ikhatazo (isiZulu); inkatazo, iqwili (isiXhosa)
Family: Apiaceae

Alepidea macowanii is a robust, perennial herb known for its hollow, grooved, branched stem and thick, aromatic rootstock. It has basal leaves arranged...

16 / 12 / 2024 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Pseudogaltonia clavata

Pseudogaltonia clavata plants in flower in habitat
Common names: desert coconut, desert hyacinth, osonanga lily, Namibian slangkop, Cape hyacinth, (Eng.); gifbol, groenlelie, slangkop, Namibia-slangkop (Afr.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

The desert coconut (Pseudogaltonia clavata) is an impressive bulbous plant with tall spikes of drooping greenish white flowers, which add architectural...

09 / 12 / 2024 | Natasha Lombard | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Agathosma muirii

Agathosma muirii
Common names: Muir’s buchu, heart-leaf buchu (Eng.); Muir-boegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

A hardy, aromatic and water-wise, white- to pink-flowering shrub which thrives in full sun, on limestone or sandy patches in fynbos vegetation....

09 / 12 / 2024 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Serruria dodii

Serruria dodii
Common names: Hex River spiderhead (Eng.), Hexrivier-spinnekopbossie (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

An upright shrub, often many-branched, that produces silver-pink, sweetly scented flowerheads at the tips of the branches, in spring....

02 / 12 / 2024 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Crinum lugardiae

Crinum lugardiae
Common names: veld swamplily, Lugard's crinum (Eng.); veldlelie (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Crinum lugardiae has a rosette of strap-shaped leaves, fragrant, bell-shaped white flowers with long thin floral tubes, in early summer, followed by strongly...

02 / 12 / 2024 | Linda Booysen | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Aloe ecklonis

Aloe ecklonis
Common names: Ecklon’s aloe, grass aloe (Eng.), Ecklonse-aalwyn, vlei-aalwyn, grasaalwyn (Afr.), hloho-tsa-makaka, lekxalana, maroba lihale (Sesotho), isiphukuthw
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe ecklonis is a tough and beautiful succulent, that boasts striking rosettes of broad leaves and vibrant orange, yellow or salmon-pink flowers in summer,...

25 / 11 / 2024 | Lesego Maunatlala | Pretoria NBG
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Aristea torulosa

Aristea torulosa
Common names: Wood’s aristea (Eng.); blousuurkanol (Afr.); khahla, lethepu-le-lenyenyane (Sesotho,); umluzi omncane (isiZulu); phayimashimane (siSwati)
Family: Iridaceae

A lovely, vibrant species of Aristea with striking, star-like, blue flowers that appear prolifically in summer....

25 / 11 / 2024 | Ofentse Naanyane | Free State NBG
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Searsia gerrardii

Searsia gerrardii red leaves in autumn
Common names: river karee, river currant (Eng.), riviertaaibos (Afr.), inhlokoshiyane, umhlakaza (isiZulu)
Family: Anacardiaceae

Searsia gerrardii is a shrub-like tree with a graceful, weeping habit, striking reddish bark and noticeable orange lenticels (raised pores) on the branchlets....

18 / 11 / 2024 | Luyanda Bhengu | Free State NBG
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Brunsvigia pulchra

Brunsvigia pulchra
Common names: Namaqualand tulip, torch candelabra (Eng.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Brunsvigia pulchra is a rarer member of the genus, restricted to the more arid, semi-desert region of Namaqualand. There is a striking contrast between...

18 / 11 / 2024 | Gianpaolo Gilardi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica blandfordia

Erica blandfordia
Common names: yellow wax heath (Eng.); geelwasheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica blandfordia gives a show of bright yellow flowers in spring and early summer....

11 / 11 / 2024 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Stenoglottis longifolia

Stenoglottis longifolia growing on its preferred rocky substrate
Common names: long-leaved stenoglottis
Family: Orchidaceae

The long-leaved stenoglottis is an attractive, relatively easy-to-grow orchid that charms with its graceful spikes of lilac to mauve flowers. It naturally...

11 / 11 / 2024 | Natasha Lombard | National Herbarium Pretoria
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