Plants of the Week

Ficus glumosa

Common names: hairy rock fig, mountain rock fig (Eng.); harige rotsvy, berg-rotsvy (Afr.); umthombe (Xhosa); inkokhokho, umdenda omnyama, umnyaxa (Zulu); inkiwane (

Family: Moraceae

An ideal tree for planting in water scarce areas; it will provide browsing and food to a number of animals, as well as a habitat for a large range of bird...

07 / 11 / 2016 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Fanninia caloglossa

Common names: Fannin’s beauty

Family: Apocynaceae

This monotypic genus (containing only one species) and despite its small stature, is very pretty. It was mentioned by the well-known botanist N.E. Brown,...

16 / 01 / 2017 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Ficus craterostoma

Common names: forest fig, forest strangler-fig, blunt-leaved forest fig, bastard Natal fig (Eng.); bosvy, wurgvy, stomblaarbosvy, bostouboom, basternatalvy (Afr.);

Family: Moraceae

A wild fig from the well-watered forests of southeastern and tropical Africa, with glossy, dark green foliage and a grey trunk that is sculpted and shaped...

11 / 09 / 2017 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus muelleriana

Common names: wandering rock-fig, Chimanimani rock-fig, Mueller’s climbing fig (Eng.); chimanimanirotsvy (Afr.)

Family: Moraceae

Ficus muelleriana represents a fairly recent discovery. It is a rare, cliff-dwelling, scandent shrub, with beautiful heart-shaped leaves, reddish leaf...

04 / 12 / 2017 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus cordata

Common names: Namaqua rock fig, Namaqua fig (Eng.); namakwarotsvy, namakwavy, melkboom (Afr.)

Family: Moraceae

The Namaqua rock fig represents the largest and tallest indigenous tree from Namaqualand. It is an ascending, rock-splitting tree confined to rock outcrops,...

12 / 11 / 2018 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus ilicina

Common names: laurel fig, natarra fig (Eng.); louriervy, natarravy (Afr.); natarra (Nama)

Family: Moraceae

The laurel fig is an evergreen, rock-hugging fig from the summer-dry Namaqualand region and further north into Namibia and southern Angola, where rainfall...

03 / 12 / 2018 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus sycomorus subsp sycomorus

Common names: sycamore fig, common cluster fig, mulberry fig (Eng.); trosvy, geelrriviervy, geelstamvy, gewone trosvy, wildevyeboom, sycomorusvy (Afr.); umkhiwa (Nd

Family: Moraceae

A medium-sized tree with yellowish red edible figs....

03 / 06 / 2019 | Cathbert Makgakga | National Herbarium Pretoria

Ficus salicifolia

Common names: Wonderboom fig (Eng.); wonderboomvy (Afr.); isisantu (isiZulu); umkhiwane, indhlaleni (siSwati); motlhatsa (setswana); mohlatssa, mohlatsiso, monokane

Family: Moraceae

This hardy, spreading, evergreen tree produces fruit that will attract any fruit-loving birds to your garden. It is ideal for large properties and very...

13 / 04 / 2020 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Freesia grandiflora

Common names: forest freesia, forest kammetjie (Eng.)

Family: Iridaceae

A beautiful, red-flowered, bulbous plant that deserves more horticultural attention. It is perfect for woodland gardens or as a pot plant and performs...

26 / 10 / 2020 | Natasha Lombard | National Herbarium Pretoria

Faucaria subintegra

Common names: Tyolomnqa tiger-jaw (Eng.); tierbekvygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Faucaria subintegra’s innocuous teeth makes it a wonderful and unusual member of the genus, with a dense, clump-forming habit giving almost a knobby...

13 / 06 / 2022 | Nomfusi Ntsobi | Kirstenbosch NBG