Plants of the Week

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E.g., 24/11/2024
E.g., 24/11/2024

Rhamnus prinoides

Rhamnus prinoides
Common names: African Dogwood, Camdeboo Stinkwood, Glossy-leaf (E), Blinkblaar, Camdeboostinkhout (A); umGlindi, Umlindi (X); umGilindi, uNyenye, umHlinye (Z); liNy
Family: Rhamnaceae

The African dogwood is a very attractive dense shrub or a small tree with glossy foliage and decorative red berries....

08 / 04 / 2002 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Thamnochortus fraternus

Thamnochortus fratenus
Common names: dune thatching reed
Family: Restionaceae

This is a striking and attractive grass-like member of the large restio family. The plants are very uniform in height and the floral bracts are a rich...

08 / 04 / 2002 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cassinopsis ilicifolia

Cassinopsis ilicifolia in fruit
Common names: Lemon Thorn (English), Lemoentjiedoring (Afrikaans), iMamba eluhlaza (Zulu), iCegceya (Xhosa)
Family: Icacinaceae
15 / 04 / 2002 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Nerine sarniensis

Nerine sarniensis
Common names: Guernsey lily, red nerine (Eng.); berglelie, nerina (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Nerine sarniensis is widely considered to be the most beautiful of all the nerines....

15 / 04 / 2002 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dovyalis zeyheri

Cythna Letty illustration in Flowering Plants of Africa.
Common names: wild apricot (E), wilde-appelkoos (A), umNyazuma (Z), umQokokolo (X), morethema (NS)
Family: Salicaceae

This is a tree with a most unusual and apparently unexplained feature. At certain times of the year the leaves emit a smell resembling that of carrion....

22 / 04 / 2002 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Plectranthus fruticosus 'James'

Beds of Plectranthus fruticosus 'James'
Common names: Pink Spur Flower (E), Muishondblaar (A), Vlieëbos (A)
Family: Lamiaceae

Walking up the Camphor Avenue at Kirstenbosch during autumn it is difficult to miss the striking pink beds of Plectranthus fruticosus 'James'.Beds...

22 / 04 / 2002 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Mimetes chrysanthus

Mimetes chrysanthus: Photo: Cape Nature Conservation
Common names: golden pagoda, golden mimetes, gouestompie
Family: Proteaceae

The genus Mimetes is one of the most beautiful of the protea family and indeed in the whole of the Cape Floral Kingdom. ...

29 / 04 / 2002 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Setaria megaphylla

Setaria megaphylla
Common names: ribbon grass, broad-leafed bristle grass
Family: Poaceae

Setaria megaphylla may be found along rivers in low-lying areas or forests and in dense bushveld where there is plenty of moisture. ...

29 / 04 / 2002 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Buxus macowanii

Buxus macowanii
Common names: African box, Cape box, small-leaved box (Eng.), buig-my-nie, Afrikaansebuksboom, Kaapsebuksboom, kleinblaarbuksboom (Afr.), igalagala (isiXhosa), umga
Family: Buxaceae

A small, very slow-growing tree with a clean slender stem and a dense crown of shiny green leaves; it is a good pot plant, can be clipped and trained into...

06 / 05 / 2002 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Strumaria truncata

Strumaria truncata
Common names: Namaqualand snowflake
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Strumaria truncata is a charming bulbous plant, little known and unusual in cultivation....

06 / 05 / 2002 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Podocarpus henkelii

20 years old specimen in Kirstenbosch NBG
Common names: Henkel's Yellowwood (Eng), Henkel-se geelhout (Afr), UmSonti (Zulu)
Family: Podocarpaceae

This is one of the most beautiful and decorative of our indigenous conifers, a tree that any plant enthusiast would be proud to have in their garden. With...

13 / 05 / 2002 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Syzygium pondoense

Flowers of Syzygium pondoense
Common names: Pondo Waterwood, Pondowaterhout (A) umdoni wehlathi (Z)
Family: Myrtaceae

This attractive small tree is rare in nature. But it has great horticultural potential, despite its tongue twister of a name which is pronounced sigh-zig-ee-um...

13 / 05 / 2002 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Diascia rigescens

Diascia rigescens
Common names: twinspur, bride's saddle
Family: Scrophulariaceae

This attractive, dainty South African perennial will do well in temperate gardens around the world. Easy to grow and long-flowering, this is an ideal plant...

20 / 05 / 2002 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Encephalartos woodii

Encephalartos woodii at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Wood's Cycad (Eng.); Wood-se-broodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos woodii is famous for being extinct in nature, and for the fact that there is no known female specimen on Earth....

20 / 05 / 2002 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Clivia mirabilis

Clivia mirabilis
Common names: miracle clivia
Family: Amaryllidaceae

The discovery in the Nieuwoudtville area of the Northern Cape of a most unusual new Clivia species, Clivia mirabilis, caused much excitement in the botanical...

20 / 05 / 2002 | Nicky Malcolm | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica urna-viridis

Flowers of Erica urna-viridis: Photo: P Swart
Common names: green sticky heath (Eng.); groentaaiheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica urna-viridis is a very unusual erica as it produces green sticky flowers. This is a very unusual colour in the Cape Flora....

27 / 05 / 2002 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Tarchonanthus camphoratus

Tarchonanthus camphoratus
Common names: camphor bush (E), moologa (V), mofahlana (S.Sotho), igqeba emlimhlophe (Z), wildekanferbos (A), mofathla (T)
Family: Asteraceae

This interesting small tree with its attractive grey foliage is particularly suited to tough conditions. It was a very variable and widespread species...

27 / 05 / 2002 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Protea repens

Protea repens
Common names: sugarbush, common sugarbush, real sugarbush, honey protea (Eng.), suikerbos, stroopbos, opregtesuikerbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Protea repens is an excellent addition to any wildlife-friendly garden as the large amount of nectar produced by the flowers attracts birds, bees and other...

03 / 06 / 2002 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Searsia lancea

Searsia lancea tree
Common names: karee (Eng.); karee, rooikaree (Afr.); mokalabata, monhlohlo, motshakhutshakhu (N.Sotho); inhlangutshane (Siswati); mosinabele, mosilabele (S.Sotho);
Family: Anacardiaceae

The karee is a small- to medium-sized evergreen tree that usually grows to a height of 7 m and a width of 7 m but can be larger depending on environmental...

03 / 06 / 2002 | Marc Stern | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Haemanthus albiflos

Haemanthus albiflos in conservatory at Kirstenbosch
Common names: white paint brush (Eng.); witpoeierkwas (Afr.); umathunga (Xho.); uzaneke (Zul)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Haemanthus albiflos is the best known of the three evergreen species of Haemanthus and with its handsome leaves, long flowering season and red berries...

10 / 06 / 2002 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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