Plants of the Week

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E.g., 03/12/2024

Erica scytophylla

Erica scytophylla, pink form. Photo Alice Notten
Common names: leather-leaf heath (Eng.); leerblaarheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

This shrub produces white or pink flowers in spring and early summer, usually from September to December, and is ideal for container planting....

29 / 08 / 2022 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos dyerianus

Encephalartos dyerianus
Common names: Lillie’s Cycad, Lowveld Cycad (Eng.); Broodboom, Lillie-se-broodboom, Lillie-broodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos dyerianus is a medium-sized, bluish-green cycad with a very dense leaf canopy. This is an extremely rare cycad, and is endemic to South Africa,...

12 / 09 / 2022 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Erica inflata

Erica inflata
Common names: balloon heath, inflated erica (Eng.); ballonheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica inflata is one of the brightest ericas and displays a profusion of umbels of urn-shaped flowers, varying from pale pink to dark rosy-pink, throughout...

19 / 09 / 2022 | Kamogelo Solomon Modimola | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica alopecurus

Erica alopecurus. Photo Suvarna Parbhoo Mohan
Common names: foxtail heath (Eng.); katstertheide (Eng.); chalbeke-e-nyenyane, chesa-litelu, molomo-oa-lekolo-kotoane (Sesotho)
Family: Ericaceae

Foxtail heath has interesting, leafy branches that resembles a fox’s tail, as the common name suggests. It has densely clustered spikes of small,...

19 / 09 / 2022 | Sibahle Gumede | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Eucomis zambesiaca

Eucomis zambesiaca
Common names: Zambezi pineapple flower, tropical pineapple lily (Eng.); witpynappellelie (Afr.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This stunner, is one of the smaller, and pleasantly scented species of Eucomis and the only one that occurs only in Limpopo province....

24 / 10 / 2022 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Erica sitiens

Erica sitiens, pink form in the Erica Living Collection, Kirstenbosch.
Common names: thirsty heath (Eng.) dors-heide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

This upright or sprawling shrub becomes covered with masses of pink, red or white flowers, or a combination of red with white lobes, during the summer...

07 / 11 / 2022 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica walkeria

Erica walkeria
Common names: Swellendam heath, quality heath, Walker’s heath (Eng.); swellendamsheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica walkeria is a densely leafy, shrubby heath with masses of starry, pink, urn-shaped flowers in small heads in spring, and makes a rewarding potplant...

05 / 12 / 2022 | Kamogelo Solomon Modimola | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica empetrina

Flowers of Erica empetrina
Common names: crowberry heath (Eng.); kraaibessieheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica empetrina boasts with a burst of pink to red flowers in spring, from September to December.Fig. 1. Flowers of Erica empetrina....

02 / 01 / 2023 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Esterhuysenia inclaudens

Esterhuysenia inclaudens in habitat. Photo Nick Helme
Common names: none
Family: Aizoaceae

...

15 / 05 / 2023 | Robyn Manuel | Compton Herbarium
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Encephalartos hirsutus

Encephalartos hirsutus
Common names: Venda cycad (Eng.); Venda-broodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

The Venda cycad is an extremely rare and highly sought-after cycad, which is reportedly now extinct in the wild, as a result of illegal harvesting for...

12 / 06 / 2023 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Erica curtophylla

Erica curtophylla. Photo Jenny Potgieter
Common names: curved-leaf heath (Eng.); krulblaarheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica curtophylla produces small pink to dark pink, cup-shaped flowers, mostly in spring, from August to October....

19 / 06 / 2023 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euphorbia pseudoglobosa

Euphorbia pseudoglobosa
Common names: false milkballs, false globosa, false globose spurge, false globose euphorbia (Eng.);
Family: Euphorbiaceae

This dwarf succulent has a nearly geophytic habit, with the stems and branches almost entirely subterranean. It flowers in autumn, when it is adorned  with...

10 / 07 / 2023 | Nokukhanya Nozipho Mhlongo | TSP
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Erica calcareophila

Erica calcareophila
Common names: limestone heath (Eng.)
Family: Ericaceae

With the limestone hills of Groot Hagelkraal being its only home, Erica calcareophila occurs on cliffs and rock ledges, showcasing its pure white, urn-shaped...

24 / 07 / 2023 | Yandisa Ndzeku | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euphorbia cupularis

Euphorbia cupularis leaves.  Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: dead-man’s tree, crying tree (Eng.); dooiemansboom, gifboom (Afr.); umdlebe, umdletshane (isiZulu); sidlejane (isiSwati); mulamba-noni (Tshivenda)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia cupularis is a compact succulent shrub or small tree characterized by multiple stems and a rounded growth habit. Its striking emerald-green foliage...

11 / 09 / 2023 | Nthabiseng Lucia Masetla | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Erica cubica var. cubica

Erica cubica
Common names: cube heath (Eng.) kubusheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica cubica displays a mass of deep pink flowers in early summer....

25 / 09 / 2023 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Empodium veratrifolium

Star-shaped flower
Common names: West Coast star (Eng.); breëblaar sterretjie; Weskus sterretjie (Afr.)
Family: Hypoxidaceae

The bright yellow West Coast star appears after the first good autumn rains, at a time when few other geophytes are in flower. It is easily grown in pots,...

09 / 10 / 2023 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica heliophila

Erica heliophila
Common names: sunlover heath (Eng.); sonliefhebber heide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica heliophila gives a show of creamy white or pale to deep pink flowers in midsummer (December to February)....

06 / 11 / 2023 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos dolomiticus

Encephalartos dolomiticus
Common names: Wolkberg cycad (Eng.); Wolkberg-broodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

The Wolkberg cycad is an extraordinarily beautiful species characterized by its striking blue colour. Adding to its attraction is the tendency to bear...

04 / 12 / 2023 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Erica fontana

Erica fontana, fresh flowers at the stem tip
Common names: fountain heath (Eng.); fonteinheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica fontana produces white to light rosy pink tubular flowers, that become paler towards the base, and the flowers appear all year round. It is a rare...

25 / 12 / 2023 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Eriosema latifolium

Eriosema latifolium
Common names: Pondoland eriosema
Family: Fabaceae

Eriosema latifolium is an erect perennial herb characterized by velvety hairy stems, trifoliolate leaves and distinctive yellow, reflexed flowers on stalks...

19 / 02 / 2024 | Simphiwe Mtsweni | Walter Sisulu NBG
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