Plants of the Week

Syncolostemon rotundifolius

Common names: rounded-leaf sagebush, round-leaved pink plume

Family: Lamiaceae

Even if a little difficult in cultivation, this little known member of the sage family, once established, will enhance the garden with its masses of pretty...

31 / 10 / 2005 | Karen Moodley | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Helichrysum appendiculatum

Common names: sheep's ears everlasting (Eng.); skaapoorbossie (Afr.); senkotoana (South Sotho); ibode, indlebeyemvu (Zulu)

Family: Asteraceae

Strong pink and cream flowerheads and woolly leaves make Helichrysum appendiculatum a striking plant that would enhance any garden. Not yet in...

31 / 10 / 2005 | Julia Mnengwane | Pretoria NBG

Dierama pendulum

Common names: fairy bell, hair-bell, wedding bell (Eng.)

Family: Iridaceae

Admired for its graceful, wand-like stems, eye-catching pink flowers and erect, long, linear leaves, this easily cultivated plant is one of the most rewarding...

31 / 10 / 2005 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Tridactyle bicaudata

Family: Orchidaceae

Anyone who has had the pleasure of walking in the dry forests which occur along the eastern coast of Africa, will have noticed the sometimes large clumps...

24 / 10 / 2005 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Lobostemon fruticosus

Common names: pajama bush ( Eng. ); agtdaegeneesbos, douwurmbos, luibos, lobos (Afr.)

Family: Boraginaceae

Used as a popular old Cape remedy, this small shrub always attracts admiration with its showy blue and pink flowers....

24 / 10 / 2005 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Bruguiera gymnorrhiza

Common names: black mangrove (Eng.); swartwortelboom (Afr.); isiKhangazi, isi Hlobane (isiZulu); isiKhangathi (isiXhosa); m'tumansi, setaca (Mozambique, language un

Family: Rhizophoraceae

...

24 / 10 / 2005 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Delosperma

Common names: Afrikaans names of species: D. carolinense, D. vogtsii : klipvygie, rotsvygie; D. floribundum : skaapvygie; D. herbeum : witbergvygie; D. macellum : r

Family: Aizoaceae

This predominantly summer rainfall genus has long been overlooked as a garden plant. Growth forms vary vastly and showy flowers are produced over long...

17 / 10 / 2005 | P Burgoyne | National Herbarium Pretoria

Podocarpus latifolius

Common names: real yellowwood ( Eng. ); opregte geelhout (Afr.); umkhomba (Xhosa); mogobagoba (Northern Sotho); muhovho-hovho ( Venda ); umsonti (Zulu)

Family: Podocarpaceae

The real yellowwood is one of South Africa 's most valued timber trees. It is also South Africa 's National Tree....

17 / 10 / 2005 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Pelargonium peltatum

Common names: ivy-leaved pelargonium, ivy pelargonium, wild sorrel, cascading pelargonium (Eng.); kolsuring, wildemalva (Afr.); umnewana, ityholo (isiXhosa)

Family: Geraniaceae

The ivy-leaved pelargonium is a winner and a beautiful garden plant....

17 / 10 / 2005 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

Mystroxylon aethiopicum

Common names: kooboo-berry, spoonwood (Eng.); koeboebessie, lepelboom, lepelhout (Afr.); umbomvane, umgxube, umnqayi (Xhosa); monamane (Northern Sotho); mukwatikwat

Family: Celastraceae

Mystroxylon aethiopicum is an attractive evergreen tree that is useful as an ornamental garden tree, planted as a hedge, in groups or solitary and...

10 / 10 / 2005 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG

Crassula multicava

Common names: fairy crassula, pitted crassula (Eng.); feetjie crassula, skaduplakkie (Afr.); umadinsane (Zulu)

Family: Crassulaceae

Crassulas are often small, curiously formed plants that are favourites for succulent collectors. Crassula multicava is one of those plants that can be...

10 / 10 / 2005 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ancylobotrys capensis

Common names: rock milk apricot, wild apricot, dwarf wild apricot, wild peach ( Eng. ); klipmelkappelkoos, wilde-appelkoos, wilde-perske (Afr.); morobe (Northern So

Family: Apocynaceae

The fragrant, hardy, indigenous wild apricot, Ancylobotrys capensis, is a good substitute for the Chinese jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum) the scent of which...

10 / 10 / 2005 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Watsonia borbonica

Common names: pink watsonia ( Eng. ); suurkanol, kanolpypie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

This magnificent bulbous plant with tall spikes of rose-pink, trumpet-shaped flowers makes a picturesque display, flowering for up to 4 or 5 weeks - a...

03 / 10 / 2005 | S Nonkenge | Kirstenbosch NBG

Felicia amelloides

Common names: blue felicia bush, shrubby felicia, bush felicia, blue felicia, blue marguerite, blue daisy bush, Paris daisy (Eng.); bloumagriet, blou-astertjie (Afr

Family: Asteraceae

Felicia amelloides catches the eye wherever it is planted, with its striking sky-blue and sunny yellow flowerheads, held well above the leaves. Felicia...

03 / 10 / 2005 | S Smithies | Pretoria NBG

Cussonia transvaalensis

Common names: grey cabbage tree (Eng.); vaal kiepersol (Afr.); motshetshe (Northern Sotho)

Family: Araliaceae

Cussonia transvaalensis is a striking, very useful tree as a focal point in the landscape, due to its strong architectural form; it may also be used...

03 / 10 / 2005 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Tapinanthus oleifolius

Common names: lighting matches, mistletoe (Eng.); voëlent, vuurhoutjie (Afr.); boletswa (Northern Sotho); nzunzu ( Venda )

Family: Loranthaceae

Tapinanthus oleifolius is one of the best known of the evergreen half-parasitic shrubs growing on other trees and shrubs. The sticky seeds are deposited...

26 / 09 / 2005 | Cathbert Makgakga | National Herbarium Pretoria

Stoeberia arborea

Common names: tree mesemb ( Eng. ); rooi-vye, boomvygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Stoeberia arborea is the largest member of the Mesembryanthemaceae. It is a woody, ascending shrub, 2 to 5 m tall and bearing small white flowers....

26 / 09 / 2005 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Diospyros lycioides

Common names: bluebush, star-apple, monkey plum (Eng.); bloubos (Afr.); Muthala (Venda); Lethanyu (Tswana); Monkga-nku (Southern Sotho); Mtloumana (Northern Sotho);

Family: Ebenaceae

This exciting shrub or small tree is a very tough plant which grows well country-wide. Its most attractive features are its smooth bark, blue-green leaves,...

26 / 09 / 2005 | Luambo David Rambuwani | Free State NBG

Searsia dentata

Common names: nana-berry ( Eng. ); nanabessie (Afr.); inKlolo (Xhosa); Lebelebele (Sotho); Umkungu (Ndebele)

Family: Anacardiaceae

The nana-berry, Searsia dentata, is an attractive shrub indigenous to South Africa with showy, lovely yellow to orange-red foliage in autumn. It is a common...

19 / 09 / 2005 | Peter Gavhi | Free State NBG

Sesamum sp. aff. reniforme

Flowers with seed capsule forming © P Winter

Common names: Limpopo foxglove

Family: Pedaliaceae

One of several previously undocumented species in the dry savanna of Limpopo Province, the Limpopo foxglove yearns for the bit of limelight it surely deserves....

19 / 09 / 2005 | Pieter Winter | National Herbarium Pretoria

Browse through all previous entries of Plants Of The Week

Pages

Pages