Plants of the Week

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E.g., 15/01/2025

Scabiosa drakensbergensis

Scabiosa drakensbergensis
Common names: Drakensberg scabious, pincushion (Eng.); koringblom (Afr.)
Family: Dipsacaceae

A bushy scabiosa with large soft green leaves and beautiful, pure white, ball-like inflorescences with flowers packed tightly at the tips of long delicate...

23 / 01 / 2012 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Rhoicissus digitata

Rhoicissus digitata
Common names: baboon grape (Eng.); bobbejaandruif (Afr.); isiNwazi, umThwazi, umNangwazi, umPhambane (Z); isaQoni, isaQoni esincini (X)
Family: Vitaceae

This member of the grape family is an attractive hardy creeper with shiny three- or five-partite leaves. It is traditionally used to make jam and also...

16 / 01 / 2012 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Nerine filifolia

Nerine filifolia
Common names: grass-leaved nerine (Eng.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

This floriferous summer-growing plant produces delicate, bright pink flowers which bring a magnificent colourful display to your garden towards the end...

16 / 01 / 2012 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Ornithogalum dubium

Ornithogalum dubium
Common names: yellow chincherinchee (Eng.); geeltjienkerientjee, geeltjienk (Afr.); itsweletswele lasethafeni (Xhosa)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Ornithogalum dubium is a long-blooming, showy plant with beautiful large flowers, ideal for growing in pots, and as a cut flower....

09 / 01 / 2012 | Olivia Tyambetyu | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dialium schlechteri

Dialium schlechteri tree
Common names: sherbet tree, zulu podberry (Eng.); zoeloepeulbessie (Afr.); umThiba (Zulu); ensiba (Tsonga); enziva (Ronga)
Family: Fabaceae

This very attractive forest tree, with shiny leaves and mottled white bark, will appeal to every tree lover in South Africa....

09 / 01 / 2012 | Jean Meyer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Ruschia maxima

Ruschia maxima
Common names: giant mountain vygie (Eng.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Ruschia maxima is one of the largest species in its genus. It has characteristically larger leaves than most other vygies and is crowned as the giant...

02 / 01 / 2012 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG
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Leucadendron strobilinum

Red leaf tips
Common names: Peninsula conebush
Family: Proteaceae

Leucadendron strobilinum is an eye-catching shrub that is ideal for display in a fynbos garden....

02 / 01 / 2012 | Olivia Tyambetyu | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Coddia rudis

Coddia rudis
Common names: small bone apple (Eng.); kleinbeenappel (Afr.); umDondwane (Zulu); siKhwakhwane (Siswati); tshinapanapana (Venda)
Family: Rubiaceae

Coddia rudis is usually a short, aromatic, evergreen, dense, multi-stemmed and fairly fast growing shrub....

31 / 12 / 2011 | K w Sepheka | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Lachenalia lutea

Lachenalia lutea
Common names: common dwarf yellow viooltjie
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Lachenalia lutea is a heavily sweet-scented indigenous hyacinth with pale to bright yellow flowers....

26 / 12 / 2011 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Citrullus lanatus

Fruits
Common names: tsamma melon, wild watermelon (Eng.); bitterboela, bitterwaatlemoen, karkoer (Afr.); t'sama (Khoisan); makataan (Tswana)
Family: Cucurbitaceae

...

26 / 12 / 2011 | M Welman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Coleus grandidentatus

Coleus grandidentatus
Common names: big-teeth coleus, scented-leaf coleus (Eng.); groottandsalie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

...

19 / 12 / 2011 | Kyle Smith | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Barleria senensis

Barleria senensis
Common names: none recorded
Family: Acanthaceae

A hardy indigenous plant suitable for any sunny spot in your garden....

19 / 12 / 2011 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG
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Senecio macrocephalus

Senecio macrocephalus
Common names: ngoakoane-ea-loti, sebea-mollo (South Sotho); ihlaba lenkomo (Xhosa); mountain senecio (Eng.)
Family: Asteraceae

Senecio macrocephalus is one of the first large pink-flowered senecios to flower in the grassveld in early spring and often shows up as large patches...

12 / 12 / 2011 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Aloe chlorantha

A group of Aloe chlorantha plants in flower
Common names: Fraserburg aloe, green-flower aloe (Eng.); Fraserburgaalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe chlorantha is a medium-sized aloe from Fraserburg in the Karoo, at once distinguished by its erect solitary inflorescence, up to 1.6 m high,...

12 / 12 / 2011 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Withania somnifera

Withania somnifera leaves and fruit
Common names: winter cherry (Eng.); bitterappelliefie, geneesblaarbossie, koorshout (Afr.); bofepha (Sotho); ubuvuma (Xhosa); ubuvimbha (Zulu); ashwagandha (Hindi).
Family: Solanaceae

Fruits of this plant were found in a floral collar of the innermost coffin of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. (Mabberley 2008 : 911)....

05 / 12 / 2011 | M Welman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Erica clavisepala

Erica clavisepala flowers and leaves
Common names: club heath, Cape Point marsh heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica clavisepala is a rare decorative little heath, well suited to fynbos gardens and those on the sandy flats....

05 / 12 / 2011 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Haemanthus canaliculatus

Haemanthus canaliculatus
Common names: channel-leaved haemanthus
Family: Amaryllidaceae

In late summer or early autumn, after fires have swept through some of the swampy areas near the sea in the Hangklip area, you may be lucky enough to see...

28 / 11 / 2011 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
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Erica shannonii

Erica shannonii
Common names: bottle heath, Countess of Shannon's erica (Eng.); bottelheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica shannonii is one of the most spectacular ericas with its long porcelain-white flowers arranged in clusters at the ends of its branches....

28 / 11 / 2011 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Watsonia vanderspuyiae

Watsonia vanderspuyiae
Common names: bergsuurkanol (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Watsonia vanderspuyiae is a robust geophyte with bright red tubular flowers. It attracts sunbirds and is an ideal candidate for large fynbos gardens,...

21 / 11 / 2011 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Harveya squamosa

Harveya squamosa
Common names: None recorded
Family: Orobanchaceae

Harveya squamosa is a strange root parasite, commonly seen with the whole plant coloured a glorious red to orange or, rarely, all sulphur yellow,...

21 / 11 / 2011 | J Ready | Pretoria NBG
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