Plants of the Week

Senegalia caffra

Common names: common hook-thorn, cat thorn(English); gewone haakdoring, katdoring (Afrikaans); umTholo (Zulu); Motholo (N. Sotho); Morutlhare (Tswana); Mbvhinya-xih

Family: Fabaceae

This beautiful tree is the most common naturally occurring senegalia in the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden. It may reach up to 14m and has an...

22 / 10 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Senegalia galpinii

Common names: monkey-thorn (Eng.), Tshikwalo (Tshivenda), apiesdoring (Afr.), Molopa (North Sotho)

Family: Fabaceae

This is a large tree with luxuriant, light green foliage, making it ideal for a big garden, avenue or park. It is also valued by farmers. This tree...

20 / 01 / 2003 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Pretoria NBG

Senegalia mellifera subsp. detinens

Common names: black thorn (Eng.); swarthaak, blouhaak, hakiesdoring (Afr.); monga (Tswana); mongangatau (Northern Sotho); munembedzi (Tshivenda); monkana (Siswati)

Family: Fabaceae

This is a thorny shrub or small tree with sweetly scented flowers and with hard, attractive wood....

14 / 01 / 2013 | F Nonyane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Senegalia nigrescens

Common names: knob thorn (Eng.); knoppiesdoring (Afr.); muunga (Tshivenda); mooka (Sepedi); umKhaya (Zulu)

Family: Fabaceae

Senegalia nigrescens is a deciduous, small to medium-sized tree which occurs in various savanna regions, often at low altitudes, and in rocky areas, on...

12 / 09 / 2011 | T.T. Masupa | National Herbarium Pretoria

Senegalia polyacantha subsp. campylacantha

Common names: white-stem thorn (Eng.); witdoring (Afr.); mooka, mpho-kamagwa (Northern Sotho); xigatlu, nkowankowa (Tswana)?; tshikwalo (Venda); umnga (Xhosa)

Family: Fabaceae

This is one of the most attractive acacias in Africa. It often has one stem with branching commencing fairly high up, and a neat flattish crown. It has...

13 / 06 / 2005 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG

Seriphium plumosum

Common names: silver stoebe (Eng.); slangbos, vaalbossie, Khoi-kooigoed (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

This intricately branched, heath-like shrublet is well known to hikers who use the plant to make soft mattresses when sleeping outdoors. It might be better...

14 / 06 / 2004 | L Badenhorst | Kirstenbosch NBG

Serruria adscendens

Common names: Kleinmond spiderhead

Family: Proteaceae

Serruria adscendens is an attractive, rounded shrub of slopes and flats, in the coastal fynbos between Betty's Bay and Bredasdorp in the Western Cape....

17 / 11 / 2014 | Nosiphelele Patricia Mapukata | Harold Porter NBG

Serruria aemula

Common names: strawberry spiderhead

Family: Proteaceae

Serruria aemula once occurred in huge stands on the Cape Flats near Cape Town from Milnerton to Rondebosch. Sadly this beautiful species has been reduced...

11 / 11 / 2002 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

Serruria brownii

Common names: Bottlebrush spiderhead ; fleskwasbos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

Serruria brownii is a charming and unusual shrublet. It can be tricky to cultivate but when growing happily will reward you with dense soft foliage...

31 / 12 / 2013 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG

Serruria candicans

Common names: shiny spiderhead (Eng.)

Family: Proteaceae

...

22 / 04 / 2019 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG

Serruria cyanoides

Common names: Wynberg spiderhead (Eng.); spinnekopbossie (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

The genus Serruria is one of the genera of the protea family, and is found only in the Cape Floral Kingdom. ...

14 / 07 / 2003 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

Serruria decipiens

Common names: sandveld spiderhead

Family: Proteaceae

The Sandveld spiderhead is a small rounded fynbos shrub with clusters of sweetly scented, creamy white flowers in spring; it is well suited to fynbos gardens...

07 / 12 / 2015 | Zitobile Sikova | Kirstenbosch NBG

Serruria elongata

Common names: long-stalk spiderhead (Eng.); langsteelspinnekopbos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

Among the elegant fynbos plants belonging to the Proteaceae family is Serruria elongata, also known as the long-stalk spiderhead, with its silvery pink,...

15 / 08 / 2022 | Nomndeni Nkosi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Serruria fasciflora

Common names: common pin spiderhead; speldespinnekopbos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

Serruria fasciflora is a beautiful shrublet that produces sweetly scented, silvery pink flowers all year round; definitely a very rewarding garden...

25 / 08 / 2014 | Phumza Bavuma | Kirstenbosch NBG

Serruria florida

Common names: blushing bride, pride of Franschhoek (Eng.); skaamblom, trots van Franschhoek (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

The delicate beauty of Serruria florida justifies its recognition as the most beautiful of the genus....

12 / 11 / 2007 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

Serruria fucifolia

Common names: northern spiderhead (Eng.); sandveldspinnekopbos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

Serruria fucifolia is a charming medium-sized fynbos shrub. During late winter and early spring it is covered in sweetly-scented silver-pink flowers....

18 / 07 / 2011 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG

Serruria furcellata

Common names: Kraaifontein spiderhead (Eng.)

Family: Proteaceae

This critically endangered spiderhead is being squeezed from its home by urbanization near greater Cape Town....

06 / 10 / 2003 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

Serruria glomerata

Common names: cluster spiderhead (Eng.); spinnekopbossie (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

Serruria glomerata is an attractive fynbos shrub that belongs in the Protea Family and occurs naturally only on the Cape Peninsula. Its compact rounded...

02 / 08 / 2010 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Serruria rosea

Common names: rose spiderhead, bridesmaid spiderhead (Eng.); strooimeisie, bruidsbos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

Serruria rosea is one of the showiest spiderheads, producing a spectacular display of up to 20 rose-pink tightly clustered flower heads per stem....

23 / 08 / 2010 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG

Serruria trilopha

Common names: trident spiderhead, sand spiderhead, snake-stem spiderhead, three-crested spiderhead (Eng.); slangspinnekopbos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

This critically endangered member of the protea family makes an unusual addition to sandy coastal gardens....

13 / 10 / 2003 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

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