Plants of the Week

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E.g., 15/01/2025

Stapelia leendertziae

Stapelia leendertziae
Common names: bell stapelia, Leendertz’s carrion flower, carrion chalice, carrion flower, rugose cup starfish, maroon cup starfish, star flower, black bells (Eng.
Family: Apocynaceae

Stapelia leendertziae is probably the most striking species of the genus Stapelia, especially when in flower, due to the unique, large, bell-shaped, deep...

20 / 12 / 2021 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Aloe simii

Aloe simii
Common names: Sim’s aloe
Family: Asphodelaceae

A beautiful, stemless aloe, with a rosette of broad, milky-green leaves and eye-catching strawberry pink flowers in summer; a rare and endangered endemic...

20 / 12 / 2021 | Winfred Velephi Ngwenya | Lowveld NBG
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Haworthiopsis nigra

Haworthiopsis nigra
Common names: black haworthiopsis
Family: Asphodelaceae

Haworthiopsis nigra, formerly known as Haworthia nigra, is a slow growing, dwarf, flowering succulent plant, that will instantly capture your attention...

13 / 12 / 2021 | Sihle Nqentsu | Pretoria NBG
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Erica cruenta

Erica cruenta
Common names: crimson heath (Eng.), rooiheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

The beautiful and bright, shiny red flowers of Erica cruenta stand out amongst the fynbos vegetation and put on quite the show....

13 / 12 / 2021 | Karen Wall | Harold Porter NBG
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Erica nabea

Erica nabea
Common names: sepal heath, MacNab’s heath (Eng.)
Family: Ericaceae

This medium sized shrub produces spikes of unusual, greenish flowers from late autumn until the end of winter....

06 / 12 / 2021 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Haworthia monticola

Haworthia monticola
Common names: mountain haworthia (Eng.), Willowmore dwergaalwyntjie (Afr.).
Family: Asphodelaceae

Haworthia monticola is a dwarf, cluster-forming, cliff-hugging plant, with light green, linear lanceolate, succulent leaves with pale, longitudinal markings...

06 / 12 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica amoena

Erica amoena
Common names: feathery heath (Eng.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica amoena is a fairly lanky little shrub, growing in marshy and swampy areas on the Cape Peninsula, where it is rare and endemic, which makes it special....

29 / 11 / 2021 | Kamogelo Solomon Modimola | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Bulbine succulenta

Bulbine succulenta
Common names: compass plant (Eng.); kopiva, wildekopiva (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbine succulenta is an attractive bulbous plant, and a low-maintenance and rewarding ornamental plant.Fig. 1: Bulbine succulenta, plants in flower, flowers...

29 / 11 / 2021 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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Crassula fusca

Crassula fusca
Common names: stone crop (Eng.)
Family: Crassulaceae

This is an attractive plant and probably one of the most low maintenance Crassula, as it requires little watering and prefers semi-shade.Fig. 1. Crassula...

22 / 11 / 2021 | Kagiso Sharlene Mashego | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Leucadendron pubescens

Leucadendron pubescens
Common names: grey conebush, silky conebush (Eng.); knokkerbos, pitjiebos, knopbos, syhaartolbos, pitjieknopbos, syhaar-tolbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

A very attractive shrub with twisted, hairy leaves and large maroon-brown cones that are very noticeable in winter and spring when the plants are flowering...

22 / 11 / 2021 | Mane Somtshu | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria langebergensis

Gasteria langebergensis
Common names: Langeberg ox-tongue (Eng.); Langeberg-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria langbergensis is a cluster-forming, leaf succulent with oblong, flattened, slightly wrinkled leaves in two opposite rows (distichous) and bearing...

15 / 11 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ledebouria comptonii

Ledebouria comptonii
Common names: Compton’s African Hyacinth
Family: Hyacinthaceae

A small and attractive species which proliferates to form dense stands, with brightly coloured flowers produced en-masse in early spring. The species is...

15 / 11 / 2021 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Diospyros simii

Diospyros simii
Common names: climbing star-apple, rub-rub berry, star apple (Eng.); ranksterappel, kraaibessie, kraaibessiebos, ranktolbessiebos, tolbessiebos (Afr.); umbongisa (i
Family: Ebenaceae

This fast-growing shrub or small tree grows well in sun or semi shade. It produces white flowers in spring, followed by decorative, orange-red, edible...

08 / 11 / 2021 | Zubayr Sydow | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Homalium dentatum

Homalium dentatum
Common names: brown-ironwood (Eng.); bruinysterhout, basterwitstinkhout (Afr.); idlebelendlovu, umkhakhasi (isiZulu); igqabile, uphantsi-komnga, umgqamkuhulu, inkom
Family: Salicaceae

When walking through the forest, it’s easy to get consumed by the density of the trees and all you see is green plants; this can make it difficult...

08 / 11 / 2021 | Mpho Mathalauga | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Babiana noctiflora

Babiana noctiflora
Common names: night-scented baboon flower, night bobbejaantjie (Eng.); aandbobbejaantjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

A night-scented bobbejaantjie that is rare in fynbos, with yellow flowers that are adapted to their night-flying moth pollinators by remaining open and...

01 / 11 / 2021 | Tamanna Patel | TSP
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Clausena anisata

Clausena anisata
Common names: horsewood (Eng.); perdepis, perdepisboom, lemoenhout, perdeboom, perdebos , perdepisbos , perdepisbossie, stinkbas, basternieshout (Afr.); umnukelambi
Family: Rutaceae

Clausena anisata is a very neat and attractive small tree, that gives off a strong scent that is considered by many to be unpleasant; when the leaves are...

01 / 11 / 2021 | Thamsanqa Msweli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Steirodiscus tagetes

Steirodiscus tagetes
Common names: strandveld yellowweed (Eng.) geelkruid (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A small, wiry-stemmed annual with striking, yellow flowers in spring, endemic to the Greater Cape Floristic Region, and one of the most attractive annuals...

25 / 10 / 2021 | Nosipho Ndlovu | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Struthiola tomentosa

Struthiola tomentosa
Common names: woolly capespray, woolly featherhead (Eng.); veertjie, juffertjie-roer-by-die-nag, roemenaggie (Afr.)
Family: Thymelaeaceae

A slender, tomentose shrublet, with yellow to pale orange flowers in winter, spring and early summer, and yellow, stiff hairs surrounding the petaloid...

25 / 10 / 2021 | Thuli Makhoba | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Commiphora woodii

Commiphora woodii
Common names: forest corkwood (Eng.); boskanniedood (Afr.); iminele, wehlathi, umhlunguthi (isiXhosa); iminyela, umdewehlathi, umubu, umunde wehlathi (isiZulu)
Family: Burseraceae

The forest corkwood is one of the few corkwoods that does not have flaking or peeling bark. ...

18 / 10 / 2021 | Siphesihle Precious Sibiya | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Eugenia natalitia

Eugenia natalitia
Common names: forest myrtle (Eng.); bosmirt (Afr.); mukavha-mahunguvhu, murambo-thavha, musiri, tshitawatawane (Venda); umthintane, umbhovane, imanzana (Zulu); inch
Family: Myrtaceae

If you want your garden to be bursting with butterflies, bees and birds (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t), then this is the plant for you!...

18 / 10 / 2021 | Rowan Wilson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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