Plants of the Week

Lydenburgia abbottii

Common names: Pondo Bushman’s Tea (Eng.); pondoboesmanstee (Afr.)

Family: Celastraceae

Pondo Bushman’s Tea is a tall tree, and one of the rarest trees in South Africa, occurring in ravine forest in just two river gorges....

25 / 06 / 2018 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG

Melinis repens

Common names: Natal red top (Eng.); bergrooigras (Afr.)

Family: Poaceae

An attractive, yet hardy tufted grass, which requires little maintenance for a showy display in spring and summer....

25 / 06 / 2018 | Phakamani Xaba | Kirstenbosch NBG

Curio radicans

Common names: baboon toes, banana vine, creeping berry, necklace plant, string-of-bananas, string-of-fishhooks (Eng.); bobbejaantoontjies, bobbejaanvingertjies, bok

Family: Asteraceae

Curio radicans is a versatile succulent which can either act as a ground cover or an overflowing hanging pot plant; it is a beautiful addition to any garden...

18 / 06 / 2018 | Ashton Welcome | National Herbarium Pretoria

Lampranthus tegens

Common names: mat-lampranthus (Eng.); matvygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

A flat-growing, mat-forming, leaf succulent, often rooting at the nodes, and an easy-to-grow, drought tolerant plant for fynbos gardens, especially on...

18 / 06 / 2018 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Barleria lichtensteiniana

Common names: little porcupine (Eng.); rolvarkie, klapperbossie (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

Barleria lichtensteiniana, the jewel of the Kalahari....

11 / 06 / 2018 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Arctotis aspera

Common names: rough arctotis (Eng.); taaigousblom (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

A tough, soft-wooded perennial from the mountainous and coastal fynbos areas that flowers for the most part of the year. Once established, it hardly needs...

11 / 06 / 2018 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe lineata var. muiri

Common names: Muir's striped aloe (Eng.); streepaalwyn (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe lineata var. muiri is an attractive and rewarding garden plant. Its striking yellowish green leaves and tall flower spikes will give much needed contrast...

04 / 06 / 2018 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG

Dalbergia armata

Common names: thorny-rope, flat-bean, Hluhluwe climber (Eng.); doringtou (Afr.); umhluhluwe, uthathawe (isiZulu); omqokolo, ubobo, umzungulu (isiXhosa); sehlokootsw

Family: Fabaceae

Dalbergia armata has attractive acacia-like leaves and makes an excellent bonsai tree. It is a rather distinct climber, with stout thorns and it is a member...

04 / 06 / 2018 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Paranomus longicaulis

Common names: woolly sceptre, exploding baked apple (Eng.); poppiesbos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

Densely white-woolly, pink and brown flowerheads, forming a short bottlebrush on a long, flowering branch, in spring to summer, with unusual foliage, bearing...

28 / 05 / 2018 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG

Kniphofia acraea

Common names: highlands poker

Family: Asphodelaceae

A rare, small Kniphofia that is endemic to South Africa, only known from two areas high in the mountains of the Eastern Cape Province, near Cradock and...

28 / 05 / 2018 | Ntuthuko Mabuya | Pretoria NBG

Schistostephium rotundifolium

Common names: round-leaf flat-flower (Eng.); imadliwazimbuzi (Zul.)

Family: Asteraceae

A bushy shrub with decorative foliage and attractive yellow flowerheads in autumn to winter, suitable for sun or semi-shade....

21 / 05 / 2018 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG

Cotyledon egglii

Common names: Barberton pig’s ears (Eng.); Barberton-plakkie (Afr.)

Family: Crassulaceae

A recently named succulent shrublet, recognized by its wedge-shaped (cuneiform), green leaves, sparsely beset with glandular hairs and bearing tubular,...

21 / 05 / 2018 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Setaria verticillata

Common names: bristly foxtail grass, bur bristlegrass, cat’s tails, klits setaria, love grass (Eng.); kat(te)stert(gras), klawergras, kleefgras, klitsgras, steekg

Family: Poaceae

Setaria verticillata is a species of grass known by the common name, bur bristlegrass. It is easily distinguished from other Setaria species by retrorsely...

14 / 05 / 2018 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria

Brachylaena rotundata

Common names: mountain silver-oak, Transvaal silver-tree (Eng.); bergvaalbos, bergvaalboom (Afr.); moswane (Tsw)

Family: Asteraceae

This tree is ideal for small to medium-sized gardens. It produces yellow, thistle-like flowers in spring and has eye-catching, silver-grey leaves, that...

14 / 05 / 2018 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Diosma aristata

Common names: Mossel Bay buchu, spear-leaf diosma

Family: Rutaceae

Diosma aristata is without a doubt the most threatened species in this enigmatic genus of plants. Buchus are well known for their medicinal qualities,...

07 / 05 / 2018 | Ismail Ebrahim | CREW

Erica irregularis

Common names: Gansbaai heath

Family: Ericaceae

A very special and beautiful plant that only occurs naturally in one place in the whole world. During the winter months, it transforms the landscape around...

07 / 05 / 2018 | Victoria Wilman | Kirstenbosch NBG

Coleus venteri

Common names: Sekukuni coleus (Eng.); sekoekoeniesalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

A relatively new species to horticulture, Coleus venteri is a unique, aromatic, sun-loving, water-wise shrub that is fast growing once established and...

30 / 04 / 2018 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Adenia spinosa

Common names: spiny greenstem, elephant’s foot (Eng.); tshivhuyu-dumbu (Tshivenda)

Family: Passifloraceae

In the far north of South Africa grows a very special, ancient-looking plant with a stem resembling an elephant’s foot. In our neighbouring country,...

30 / 04 / 2018 | Livhuwani Auldrean Nkuna | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Rhynchosia hirta

Common names: blue-seeded snoutbean, hairy snoutbean (Eng.); imbelekisani, iyezalesisu (Xho.)

Family: Fabaceae

A lovely indigenous vine with attractive blue seeds; an alternative to gardeners over exotics....

23 / 04 / 2018 | Thulisile P. Jaca | National Herbarium Pretoria

Plectranthus lucidus

Common names: shiny spurflower (Eng.); blinkblaar spoorsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

A fast-growing, resilient, shade-loving groundcover, recommended for coastal gardens....

23 / 04 / 2018 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG

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