Plants of the Week

Petalidium bracteatum

Common names: Ruacana petalidium (Eng.); Ruacana rooibekkiebos (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

The Ruacana petalidium is a fast and easily growing shrub with striking dark red tubular flowers which attract sunbirds. As its name implies, it originates...

08 / 03 / 2004 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Petalidium coccineum

Common names: Kaoko petalidium (Eng.); rooi-tongklapper, Kaoko rooibekkiebos (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

The Kaoko petalidium is a fast-growing, branched shrub with smooth, white bark which contrasts with its striking, red, curved flowers and ornamental, mottled...

05 / 01 / 2004 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Petalidium oblongifolium

Common names: blue petalidium, blue petal-bush (Eng.); bloubos, blou-tongklapper (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

A beautiful small shrub with silvery leaves and attractive blue flowers in summer; a hardy, water-wise plant for sun or semi-shade....

13 / 04 / 2020 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG

Peucedanum polyactinum

This plant is now called Notobubon capense....

11 / 05 / 2016 | | Free State NBG

Phaenocoma prolifera

Common names: pink everlasting, pink strawflower, Cape everlasting (Eng.); rooisewejaartjie, strooiblommetjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

I often think of this species as the dinosaur of the everlastings. It is a strong rigid shrub with brilliant pink bracts and large flower heads. It is...

06 / 09 / 2004 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Phaulopsis imbricata

Common names: sticky acanth (Eng.); umhlonyane (isiZulu); papleaf (The Gambia), salt of the cow (Senegal)

Family: Acanthaceae

Phaulopsis imbricata is a bushy, perennial herbaceous plant, with small white flowers in short spikes that are sticky to the touch. Easy to grow, it is...

09 / 10 / 2023 | Bongekile Ndlovu | Pretoria NBG

Philenoptera sutherlandii

Common names: forest apple-leaf, giant umzimbeet, bastard umzimbeet (Eng.); bosappelblaar, reuseomsambeet, basteromsambeet (Afr.); umsimbishana, umsimbithana (isiZu

Family: Fabaceae

A large and handsome evergreen tree, with showy pink or purple flowers in midsummer, that grows mainly in forest habitat....

19 / 07 / 2021 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Philenoptera violacea

Common names: apple-leaf (Eng.); appelblaar (Afr.); umBhandu, umPhanda, isiHomohomo (isiZulu)

Family: Fabaceae

The wood of this attractive, hard, frost-sensitive "rain-tree" makes a stunning ornamental display....

14 / 12 / 2009 | Sifiso Mnxati | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Phoenix reclinata

Common names: wild date palm (Eng.); wilde-dadelboom (Afr.); mopalamo (Northern Sotho); moséfa (Tswana); isundu (Xhosa, Zulu)

Family: Arecaceae

This graceful palm with its characteristic slender, leaning stems is a feature of riverine bush and forest in the eastern parts of the country. It is almost...

11 / 10 / 2004 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Phragmites australis

Common names: commom reed; fluitjiesriet (Afr.); lehlaka (SeSotho.); umHlanga (isiZulu.); lutanga (Tshivenda.)

Family: Poaceae

Phragmites australia is a cosmopolitan perennial grass/reed with grey-green leaves and a light brown to purple inflorescence and the flowers are...

12 / 01 / 2015 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria

Phygelius aequalis

Common names: river bell, wild fuchsia (Eng.); foksia, rivierklokkie (Afr.); metsi-matso (Southern Sotho)

Family: Scrophulariaceae

A beautiful, lush, fast-growing, evergreen perennial, with spikes of showy trumpet-shaped, red or yellow flowers and a long blooming season....

23 / 07 / 2007 | Karen Wall | Kirstenbosch NBG

Phygelius capensis

Common names: southern river bell, wild fuchsia, Cape fuchsia (Eng.); rivierklokkie, foksia (Afr.); metsi-matsho (Sesotho)

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Phygelius capensis is a hardy, evergreen semi-shrub that bears wonderful bright red or orange, drooping, tubular flowers throughout summer. ...

08 / 07 / 2019 | Stemmer Ngalo | Free State NBG

Phylica buxifolia

Common names: box-leaf phylica, box hard-leaf (Eng.); bukshardeblaar (Afr.)

Family: Rhamnaceae

This compact rounded shrub or small tree makes a good background or screening plant and should find a place in indigenous gardens near the coast, especially...

16 / 12 / 2002 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG

Phylica ericoides

Common names: heath phylica, ericoid phylica ( Eng. ); hardebos (Afr.)

Family: Rhamnaceae

Phylica ericoides is a tough but decorative little shrub with dark green foliage and masses of showy white flower heads during autumn-winter, perfect...

16 / 04 / 2007 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Phylica gnidioides

Common names: pink phylica, pink hardleaf (Eng.); pienk-hardebos (Afr.)

Family: Rhamnaceae

Phylica is a genus predominantly found in the Cape flora with about 138 species, of which 90% are endemic. The genus exhibits a significant range of shrub...

13 / 06 / 2016 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Phylica pubescens

Common names: featherhead (Eng.); veerkoppie (Afr.)

Family: Rhamnaceae

This attractive bush is densely covered with hairy leaves and each hair seems to gather the sunlight and make it glow. Early morning or late afternoon...

06 / 12 / 2004 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG

Phyllanthus reticulatus

Common names: potato plant, roast potato plant (Eng); aartappelbos (Afr); intaba-yengwe, umchumelo (isiZulu); thethenya (xiTsonga)

Family: Phyllanthaceae

Phyllanthus reticulatus is usually a dense deciduous shrub or small tree with a distinct smell that is emitted by the minute flowers when they open...

21 / 06 / 2010 | Mandisa Kondlo | Walter Sisulu NBG