Plants of the Week

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E.g., 28/11/2024
E.g., 28/11/2024

Hilliardiella oligocephala

Vernonia oligocephala flowers
Common names: bicoloured-leaved vernonia (Eng.); groenamarabossie (Afr.); Ihlambihloshane (Zulu)
Family: Asteraceae

Hilliardiella oligocephala is an attractive perennial with bicolored leaves and attractive bright purple flowers. It is the most common silver-leafed species...

14 / 09 / 2009 | N Mankazana | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Erica abietina subsp. constantiana

Erica abietina subsp. constantiana growing on slopes of Chapman's Peak
Common names: Constantiaberg heath
Family: Ericaceae

An attractive heath with densely leafy stems and attractive pink flowers in winter to spring, well suited to sunny rockeries, coastal and fynbos gardens...

21 / 09 / 2009 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Rotheca louwalbertsii

Rotheca louwalbertsii
Common names: butterfly bush, tall wild violet, Louw Alberts' wild violet (Eng.); langbeen skoenlapperbos, Louw Alberts-se-wilde viooltjie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

Rotheca louwalbertsii is a slender, dainty plant with purplish blue flowers borne in long, terminal inflorescences. The individual flowers look almost...

21 / 09 / 2009 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Dichrostachys cinerea

Common names: sickle bush (Eng.); sekelbos (Afr.); uGagane (Zulu)
Family: Fabaceae

Dichrostachys cinerea is a spiny, deciduous shrub or small tree, up to 7 m high, with a rounded crown, 3 m wide....

28 / 09 / 2009 | M Cheek | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Erica sessiliflora

Erica sessiliflora
Common names: green heath, white bottlebrush heath (Eng.); groenheide, groenbottelheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica sessiliflora has intriguing, pale yellowish green, tube-shaped flowers in showy heads and is a rewarding and decorative garden plant....

28 / 09 / 2009 | Liezel Brand | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe claviflora

Aloe claviflora with angled inflorescence
Common names: kraal aloe, cannon aloe (Eng.); aanteelaalwyn, kanonaalwyn, kraalaalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe claviflora is one of the easiest succulent plants to identify in the arid regions of the wild either by its angled inflorescence that protrudes horizontally...

05 / 10 / 2009 | Werner Voigt | Harold Porter NBG
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Hermannia grandiflora

Hermannia grandiflora flowers
Common names: desert rose (Eng.); klokkiebos, heuningbossie, ouma-se-kappie (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

This striking species is as yet unknown in horticulture despite its alluring name, and is really worth growing as a pot plant, or in the garden or rock...

05 / 10 / 2009 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Moraea tripetala

Moraea tripetala flowers
Common names: blue tulp (Eng.); blou-uintjie, kleinuiltjie, bok-uintjie, riet-uintjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Moraea tripetala is tolerant of various environmental conditions; it is equally successful in the wetter Cape mountains and in the semi-arid areas of...

12 / 10 / 2009 | Eugene Marinus | Hantam NBG
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Moraea tulbaghensis

Moraea tulbaghensis orange form
Common names: rooiflappie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

The spectacular orange or brick-red blooms of Moraea tulbaghensis appear in profusion from mid to late spring, yet are seldom seen in the wild,...

12 / 10 / 2009 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ficus sansibarica

Ficus sansibarica
Common names: Zanzibar fig, knobbly fig, wild fig (Eng.); knoppiesvy (Afr.); Inkokhokho (Swazi); Mohlapu (SN); Nhlampfu (TS); Mutamvu, Muuno, Muvumo, Mudzulatshinya
Family: Moraceae

This knobbly fig presents an imposing display with its spreading crown and bears enormous fruiting spurs along the stem....

19 / 10 / 2009 | Patrick Mtsweni | Lowveld NBG
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Syncarpha argyropsis

Syncarpha argyropsis flowers
Common names: white everlasting (Eng.); witsewejaartjie, beesoogsewejaartjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Syncarpha argyropsis is a very attractive plant that grows well at Kirstenbosch and is a very promising horticultural plant for commercial use....

19 / 10 / 2009 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cyrtanthus obliquus

Cyrtanthus obliquus flowers
Common names: Knysna lily (Eng.); Knysnalelie (Afr.); Umathaga (IsiZulu)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Cyrtanthus obliquus is a very attractive evergreen species, with its large pendulous flowers and grey-green leaves. It would be a welcome addition...

26 / 10 / 2009 | Lufuno Konanani | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Diascia vigilis

Diascia vigilis flower
Common names: twinspurs (Eng.); horingkies (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

...

26 / 10 / 2009 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dymondia margaretae

Dymondia margaretae foliage
Common names: carpet daisy, silver carpet (Eng.); tapytmadeliefie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Dymondia margaretae is a one-of-a-kind, hardy, carpet-forming groundcover with a compact, neat habit and stunning blue-grey foliage. It is perfect for...

02 / 11 / 2009 | Norma Lucas | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Lachenalia valeriae

Lachenalia valeriae plants
Common names: viooltjie (Afrikaans)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Lachenalia valeriae is a beautiful species from the coastal dunes of Namaqualand....

02 / 11 / 2009 | Hester Steyn | Pretoria NBG
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Hypoxis hemerocallidea

Common names: star flower, yellow star (Eng.); sterblom, geelsterretjie, gifbol (Afr.); moli kharatsa, lotsane (S Sotho); inkomfe, inkomfe enkulu (Zulu), inongwe, i
Family: Hypoxidaceae

Hailed as`miracle muti' and `wonder potato', Hypoxis hemerocallidea has been very much in the limelight during the past two decades and is today...

09 / 11 / 2009 | Beate Hölscher | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Leucospermum praecox

Leucospermum praecox flower heads
Common names: Mossel Bay pincushion; large tufted pincushion
Family: Proteaceae

Leucospermum praecox flowers before most other pincushions and creates an eye-catching display from mid-autumn all through winter....

09 / 11 / 2009 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos aplanatus

Encephalartos aplanatus cycad
Common names: Swazi north-east forest cycad (Eng.); Umphanga wehlathi (Zulu)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos aplanatus is a shade-loving cycad that closely resembles E. villosus. The leaflets of E. aplanatus, however, tend to be wider than those...

16 / 11 / 2009 | Phakamani Xaba | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Mondia whitei

Mondia whitei flowers
Common names: White's ginger, tonic root (Eng.); mundondo, mudondo (Angola); mundondo, bondo, molo busio (Cissongo - Central African Republic); nlondo, kimbiolongwa
Family: Apocynaceae

Mondia whitei, White's ginger, is a truly versatile and magical African herb —  widely used medicinally and an excellent garden subject...

16 / 11 / 2009 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | Pretoria NBG
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Delosperma lydenbergense

Delosperma lydenburgense groundcover
Common names: Lydenburg vygie (Eng.); klipvygie, rotsvygie (Afr.)
Family: Mesembryanthemaceae

This flat-growing ground cover or small shrub with its purple flowers can take full sun and is an attractive plant for gardens in warmer climates....

23 / 11 / 2009 | K Bayloyi | Pretoria NBG
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