Plants of the Week

Muraltia heisteria

Common names: spiky purple gorse (Eng.); kastybos, persblommetjie (Afr.)

Family: Polygalaceae

Muraltia heisteria is unknown to many people, yet it has so much potential as a garden plant, bringing colour, texture and charm to the garden. It...

15 / 01 / 2007 | Marga Den Hartigh | Kirstenbosch NBG

Thunbergia alata

Common names: black-eyed susan (Eng.); swartoognooi (Afr.) ; isiPhondo (Zulu)

Family: Acanthaceae

In much of the warmer world, Thunbergia alata, or black-eyed susan, is well known as a fast-growing, long-flowering, friendly creeper. In South Africa...

15 / 01 / 2007 | S Smithies | Pretoria NBG

Albizia adianthifolia var. adianthifolia

Common names: flat-crown albizia, rough-bark flat-crown, West African albizia (Eng.); platkroon (Afr.); umgadankawu, iGowane, umNalahanga, umNebelele, uSolu (Zulu);

Family: Fabaceae

Are you looking for a fabulous shade tree, rich in a unique cultural history and adored by elephants and butterflies alike? Then look no further than the...

22 / 01 / 2007 | Alicia Krige | National Herbarium Pretoria

Dewinteria petrophila

Common names: Kaokoveld klipblom (Afr.)

Family: Pedaliaceae

Dewinteria petrophila is remarkable for its amazing reproduction on cliff faces. Apart from producing normal leaves, fruits and wind-dispersed seed,...

22 / 01 / 2007 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Barleria albostellata

Common names: grey barleria (Eng.); grysbarleria, fluweelblaarbosviooltjie (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

This medium to large shrub produces beautiful white tubular flowers in spring and summer. In addition, the velvety grey leaves create a wonderful colour...

29 / 01 / 2007 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Hermannia hyssopifolia

Common names: eight-day healing bush (Eng.); pokkiesblom, agtdaegeneesbossie (Afr.)

Family: Malvaceae

Hermannia hyssopifolia is a native of the Cape but it is known that this plant was grown in famous gardens in Europe more than 200 years ago. It was collected...

29 / 01 / 2007 | J Yeats | Kirstenbosch NBG

Barleria gueinzii

Common names: bush violet (Eng.); bosviooltjie (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

Barleria gueinzii is an unarmed (without thorns) evergreen shrub, which bears beautiful mauve to blue flowers from February to April and is ideal...

05 / 02 / 2007 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Turraea obtusifolia

Common names: small honeysuckle tree, lesser honeysuckle tree, (Eng.); kleinkamperfoelieboom (Afr.); amazulu, ikhambi-lomsinga [roots], ikunzi [roots], ikunzi ebomv

Family: Meliaceae

Turraea obtusifolia is an ornamental shrub with glossy dark green foliage, masses of showy white flowers in summer and decorative orange-red fruits in...

05 / 02 / 2007 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe broomii

Common names: mountain aloe, snake aloe (Eng.); bergaalwee, slangaalwyn (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe broomii has a unique feature that no other aloe has - the flowers and buds cannot be seen when the flower is fully open because they are completely...

12 / 02 / 2007 | Lusindiso Xulubana | Kirstenbosch NBG

Pavetta schumanniana

Common names: poison bride's bush (Eng.); gifbruidsbos (Afr.); Sawoti (siSwati); Tshituku ( Venda ); isiMbuzana (isiZulu)

Family: Rubiaceae

What? A poisonous (or poisoned) bride? Surely that is the starting-point of a third-rate horror movie, or a children's fairy tale! No, in fact the...

12 / 02 / 2007 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Arctotheca populifolia

Common names: beach pumpkin (Eng.); seepampoen, tonteldoek (blom), strandgousblom (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Arctotheca populifolia is a 'beach bum'! It is a common pioneer along the southern African coast. Have a look next time you are on the beach and...

19 / 02 / 2007 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Searsia pyroides

Unripe fruits.Photo Copyright Geoff Nichols

Common names: common wild currant, fire-thorn karree (Eng.); gewone taaibos (Afr); motshakhutshakhu (North Sotho); koditshane (South Sotho); mogodiri (Tswana); muta

Family: Anacardiaceae

To the gardener who likes variety in the garden, Searsia pyroides should not be left out. This is a good species to provide textural variation in your...

19 / 02 / 2007 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Dicoma anomala

Common names: fever bush, stomach bush (Eng.); maagbitterwortel, kalwerbossie, koorsbossie, gryshout, maagbossie (Afr.); hloenya, mohlasetse (South Sotho); inyongan

Family: Asteraceae

Dicoma anomala is a highly variable plant characterized by its stiff, sharp-pointed bracts, large flower heads and mauve-white florets surrounded by many...

26 / 02 / 2007 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Pelargonium elegans

Common names: elegant pelargonium, stork's-bill (Eng.); malva (Afr.)

Family: Geraniaceae

Pelargonium elegans is one of several tufted pelargoniums that are suitable for outdoor pots....

26 / 02 / 2007 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

Crotalaria capensis

Common names: Cape rattle-pod, Cape laburnum (Eng.); Kaapse klapperpeul (Afr.); bukheshezane (Zulu)

Family: Fabaceae

Clusters of large golden yellow flowers and seedpod bunches that rattle with dry seeds make this quick-growing shrub a delight in any garden....

05 / 03 / 2007 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Oscularia deltoides

Common names: dassievygie, sandsteenvygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Oscularia deltoides is an easy-to-grow, succulent groundcover, ideal as an accent plant and for low-maintenance and water-wise gardens....

05 / 03 / 2007 | M Buys | Compton Herbarium

Aloe hardyi

Common names: Penge aloe

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe hardyi is a decorative pendent aloe with grey-green soft leaves in rosettes at the end of hanging stems. ...

12 / 03 / 2007 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Helichrysum molestum

Family: Asteraceae

Helichrysum molestum is one of the attractive everlastings with bright yellow flower heads. The taxonomy of this group caused Dr Hilliard so much trouble...

12 / 03 / 2007 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Disparago anomala

Family: Asteraceae

Disparago plants are very common in the fynbos vegetation but they are often not noticed until they flower. Even then, they are not large and showy but...

19 / 03 / 2007 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Rhodocoma gigantea

Common names: dekriet, olifantsriet (Afr.)

Family: Restionaceae

With its upright growing stems and arching, bright green feathery foliage, Rhodocoma gigantea is one of the tallest and most attractive of the...

19 / 03 / 2007 | Karen Wall | Kirstenbosch NBG

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