Plants of the Week

Barleria quadriloba

Common names: Limpopo white barleria, Limpopo white bush violet (Eng.), Limpopo-witbosviooltjie (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

A shrublet with white flowers in late summer, autumn and winter; it performs best in dry conditions and is recommended for sunny, water-wise gardens....

18 / 09 / 2017 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Elephantorrhiza burkei

Common names: elephant-root, sumach bean (Eng.); basboontjie, basbos (Afr.) lesitsane (Northern Sotho); mositsane, mosidi, mosidi-godimo, mosidi-mogolo (Tswana), ts

Family: Fabaceae

This low -growing tree boasts fragrant, creamy white to yellow flowers in early summer and can also be successfully grown in a container, as it has a non-aggressive...

18 / 09 / 2017 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus craterostoma

Common names: forest fig, forest strangler-fig, blunt-leaved forest fig, bastard Natal fig (Eng.); bosvy, wurgvy, stomblaarbosvy, bostouboom, basternatalvy (Afr.);

Family: Moraceae

A wild fig from the well-watered forests of southeastern and tropical Africa, with glossy, dark green foliage and a grey trunk that is sculpted and shaped...

11 / 09 / 2017 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Rhynchosia caribaea

Common names: snoutbean (Eng.); rankboontjie (Afr.); monya-mali, monyamadi, morara wa iphepha, morarana-oa-liphepa, thara (Sesotho); isihlahlasenqomfi (isiZulu)

Family: Fabaceae

An indigenous, herbaceous climber; its roots are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of rheumatism and alleviation of headaches....

11 / 09 / 2017 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Bowkeria cymosa

Common names: northern shellflower, escarpment shellflower (Eng.); noordelike skulpblombos, platorand-skulpblombos (Afr.); luchwimi (Siswati)

Family: Stilbaceae

A bushy shrub or small tree for sun or semi-shade, with dark green foliage and sprays of unusual, shell-like, white flowers in summer; a good backdrop...

04 / 09 / 2017 | Tumelo Mofokeng | Pretoria NBG

Pelargonium hirtum

Common names: hairy pelargonium, fine-leaved pelargonium

Family: Geraniaceae

This is a hardy, waterwise pelargonium ideal for sandy and rocky gardens. It is also well-suited to pots....

04 / 09 / 2017 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe varimaculata

Common names: Humpata aloe (Eng.); Humpata-aalwyn (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

A small shrubby aloe with rosettes of beautifully mottled, recurved leaves with fairly large, sharply pointed teeth, and orange-reddish flowers with yellowish...

28 / 08 / 2017 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Monilaria chrysoleuca

Common names: string of pearls, pea mesemb (Eng.); ertjievygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

An eye-catching succulent with unusual jointed stems that resemble a beaded necklace, and leaves that sparkle in sunlight....

28 / 08 / 2017 | R Powell | Compton Herbarium

Ledebouria glauca

Common names: blue African hyacinth

Family: Hyacinthaceae

A rare and relatively unknown species of African hyacinth from the hot and semi-arid regions of South Africa. This unusual species is very distinctive...

23 / 08 / 2017 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Gladiolus crassifolius

Common names: thick-leaved gladiolus (Eng.); igulusha, ingangulazi (isiZulu); sidvwana (isiSwazi); khahla-e-nyenyane (Southern Sotho)

Family: Iridaceae

A dainty perennial geophyte, with substantial stems and brightly coloured flowers; it grows wild in well-drained, rocky grasslands of eastern southern...

21 / 08 / 2017 | Khayelihle Magubane | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Otholobium fruticans

Common names: Cape Town pea, roundhead otholobium

Family: Fabaceae

An attractive, mat-forming groundcover or semi-shrub that bears beautiful sprays of pea-like, purple-blue flowers in spring....

21 / 08 / 2017 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Agave americana

Common names: American agave, American aloe, century plant (Eng.); Amerikaanse aalwee, Amerikaanse aalwyn, blou-aalwee, blougaringboom, gareboom, kaalgaarboom, maka

Family: Agavaceae

Century plants are popular ornamental plants that are native to Central America, southern North and northern South America. Agave americana is no exception...

14 / 08 / 2017 | Cynthia Mikateko Baloyi | National Herbarium Pretoria

Commiphora harveyi

Common names: copper-stem corkwood, red-stem corkwood (Eng.); koperstamkanniedood, rooistamkanniedood (Afr.); umhlunguthi, ulonwabo (isiXhosa); iminyela, umbumbunga

Family: Burseraceae

An interesting tree because of its unusual appearance of silky, copper-like bark that peels in large flakes; a great specimen for making bonsai trees and...

14 / 08 / 2017 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ledebouria papillata

Common names: Limpopo African hyacinth

Family: Hyacinthaceae

A miniature bulbous plant, which occurs mostly in Limpopo Province, South Africa. This dwarf species is often difficult to find because of its small size...

08 / 08 / 2017 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Protea roupelliae subsp. hamiltonii

Common names: dwarf silver sugarbush (Eng.); ranksilwersuikerbos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

A dwarf, procumbent shrub, ideal for a rockery or grassland gardens; it produces many low branches, with the stem spreading horizontally, and magnificent...

07 / 08 / 2017 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cephalanthus natalensis

Common names: strawberry bush, tree-strawberry, quinine berry (Eng.); witaarbeibos, witpruim (Afr.); mothotwe, motlholobu (Northern Sotho); murondo, mutsanda (Tshiv

Family: Rubiaceae

...

07 / 08 / 2017 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG

Acokanthera oblongifolia

Common names: dune poison-bush (Eng.), duinegifboom, gewone gifboom (Afr.) inhlungunyembe, ubuhlungu-benyoka, umhlangashiso (isiZulu), intlungunyembe, inxinebe (isi

Family: Apocynaceae

Beautiful white and sweetly scented flowers followed by large, red to purple fruits which turn purple-red to black when mature, but an extremely poisonous...

31 / 07 / 2017 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG