Plants of the Week

Barleria saxatilis

Common names: rock bush violet (Eng.); rotsbosviooltjie (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

A late summer, early autumn splash of colour for a sunny garden. ...

12 / 12 / 2016 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Brachylaena elliptica

Common names: bitterleaf, bitterleaved silver-oak, fire-sticks (Eng.); bitterblaar, suurbos (Afr); isiduli; isagqeba, umphahla (IsiXhosa); isiduli-ehlathi, igqeba-e

Family: Asteraceae

This is an attractive small tree or large shrub with interesting aromatic, dark green foliage with greyish silver undersides....

19 / 12 / 2016 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Barleria virgula

Common names: sand bush violet (Eng.); sandbosviooltjie (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

‘The drier I get, the better I flower!’...

13 / 03 / 2017 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Breonadia salicina

Common names: matumi, African teak, wild-oleander, Transvaal teak (Eng.); mingerhout, watermatoemie, waterboekenhout, basterkiaat (Afr.); mohlomê (Northern Sotho);

Family: Rubiaceae

A handsome, tall, evergreen tree, suitable for big gardens and parks, with a straight trunk and a dense, narrow crown, known to be an excellent wood for...

05 / 06 / 2017 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG

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

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

Barleria rigida var. ilicina

Common names: Kalahari scorpion thistle (Eng.); skerpioendissel (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

A prickly barleria from the Kalahari, ideal for sunny rockeries and waterwise gardens, it is frost hardy and drought tolerant....

21 / 12 / 2017 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Brassica

Common names: mustard, cabbage, kale, rape

Family: Brassicaceae

Members of this genus are known as cruciferous vegetables, cabbages or mustard plants. Commonly used for food (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels...

01 / 01 / 2018 | Tlou Manyelo | National Herbarium Pretoria

Barleria wilmsiana

Common names: Wilms’s barleria (Eng.); Wilms-se-barleria (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

A beautiful garden plant but difficult to grow....

19 / 03 / 2018 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Brachylaena rotundata

Common names: mountain silver-oak, Transvaal silver-tree (Eng.); bergvaalbos, bergvaalboom (Afr.); moswane (Tsw)

Family: Asteraceae

This tree is ideal for small to medium-sized gardens. It produces yellow, thistle-like flowers in spring and has eye-catching, silver-grey leaves, that...

14 / 05 / 2018 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Barleria lichtensteiniana

Common names: little porcupine (Eng.); rolvarkie, klapperbossie (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

Barleria lichtensteiniana, the jewel of the Kalahari....

11 / 06 / 2018 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Bersama tysoniana

Common names: white ash, common white ash, common bersama, forest white ash, bitterbark, wild quinine tree (Eng.); witessenhout, gewone witessenhout, basternieshout

Family: Melianthaceae

Bersama tysoniana is an attractive tree because of its dense foliage, russet-brown new growth and knobbly fruits that split into quarters, exposing red...

30 / 07 / 2018 | Nonkululeko Ntshangase | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Brachystelma foetidum

Common names: Hottentots bread (Eng); Hotnotsbrood, Hottentotsbrood (Afr); seru (Sesotho).

Family: Apocynaceae

A small, herbaceous perennial from the grasslands, with a large, flattened, underground, potato-like tuber, and unusual purple-brown and greenish yellow...

06 / 08 / 2018 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG

Bauhinia petersiana subsp. macrantha

Common names: Kalahari bauhinia, Kalahari camel’s foot, coffee neat's foot (Eng.); kalaharibauhinia, kalaharibeesklou, koffiebeesklou (Afr.); motsantsa, mogotswe

Family: Fabaceae

This low-growing, evergreen tree or scrambler, boasts with large, pleasantly scented white flowers in midsummer....

17 / 09 / 2018 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Barleria rigida var. rigida

Common names: scorpion thistle (Eng.); skerpioendissel (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

Your first choice plant for the sunny dry areas in your garden....

17 / 09 / 2018 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Babiana fragrans

Common names: fragrant blue babiana (Eng.); bobbejaantjie, bobbejaanuintjie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

...

26 / 11 / 2018 | Refilwe Maria Malatji | Pretoria NBG

Barleria oxyphylla

Common names: turf barleria

Family: Acanthaceae

Rare but interesting....

04 / 02 / 2019 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Bergbambos tessellata

Common names: Drakensberg bamboo, wild bamboo, African bamboo, southern mountain bamboo (Eng.); bergbamboes (Afr.); uduli, uqalo (Xho.)

Family: Poaceae

This is one of only two species of bamboo that are indigenous to South Africa. It is a small, tough bamboo that will tolerate wind and frost, preferring...

15 / 04 / 2019 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG