Plants of the Week

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E.g., 25/11/2024
E.g., 25/11/2024

Bowkeria cymosa

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
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Rhynchosia caribaea

Rhynchosia caribaea (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: snoutbean (Eng.); rankboontjie (Afr.); monya-mali, monyamadi, morara wa iphepha, morarana-oa-liphepa, thara (Sesotho); isihlahlasenqomfi (isiZulu)
Family: Fabaceae

An indigenous, herbaceous climber; its roots are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of rheumatism and alleviation of headaches....

11 / 09 / 2017 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Ficus craterostoma

80 year old Ficus craterostoma in Kirstenbosch.
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
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Elephantorrhiza burkei

Elephantorrhiza burkei (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: elephant-root, sumach bean (Eng.); basboontjie, basbos (Afr.) lesitsane (Northern Sotho); mositsane, mosidi, mosidi-godimo, mosidi-mogolo (Tswana), ts
Family: Fabaceae

This low -growing tree boasts fragrant, creamy white to yellow flowers in early summer and can also be successfully grown in a container, as it has a non-aggressive...

18 / 09 / 2017 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Barleria quadriloba

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
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Rhoicissus tridentata

Rhoicissus tridentata (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: northern Bushman’s grape, bitter grape, wild grape (Eng.); noordelike boesmansdruif, bitterdruif, droog-my-keel, wildedruif (Afr.); isaqoni, umnxeba
Family: Vitaceae

This shrubby climber has many features that make it an ideal garden subject; it is fast growing, hardy, drought tolerant and deciduous, with decorative...

25 / 09 / 2017 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Sarcophyte sanguinea subsp. sanguinea

Sarcophyte sanguinea (Detlef Schnabel)
Common names: wolwekos (Afr.); ihlule, umavumbuka (isiZulu)
Family: Balanophoraceae

Sarcophyte sanguinea subsp. sanguinea is a parasitic plant that occurs on the roots of trees and shrubs, especially on African acacias (Vachellia species)....

25 / 09 / 2017 | Mduduzi Nkwanyana | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Clivia miniata var. citrina

Clivia miniata var. citrina ‘Kirstenbosch Yellow’
Common names: yellow clivia, yellow bush lily (Eng.); geelboslelie (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Clivia miniata var. citrina is a horticulturally outstanding spring-flowering perennial, with a colourful history in cultivation. Grown worldwide for its...

02 / 10 / 2017 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium alchemilloides

Pelargonium alchemilloides
Common names: lady’s mantle-leaved pelargonium, pink trailing pelargonium (Eng.); wildemalva, rankmalva (Afr.); inkubele (Xhosa); amanzemnyama, ishwaga, umangqeng
Family: Geraniaceae

...

02 / 10 / 2017 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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Pelargonium sericifolium

Pelargonium sericifolium
Common names: silky pelargonium (Eng.); naaldekoker (Afr.)
Family: Geraniaceae

This very rewarding stunner has all you will ever need. For starters it requires low maintenance and its silky leaves provide interest throughout the year....

09 / 10 / 2017 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloiampelos

Aloiampelos ciliaris in a garden (AW Klopper)
Common names: climbing aloes, rambling aloes, scrambling aloes (Eng.); rankaalwyne (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Rambling aloes, with their usually slender stems and thin, narrow, widely spaced leaves, form much-branched, robust, leaning to creeping shrubs. They can...

09 / 10 / 2017 | Ronell R. Klopper | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Roosia lucilleae

The large rose-pink flowers of Roosia lucilleae. Note the persistent petals of the old flower.
Common names: Hex River cliff mesemb (Eng.); Heksrivier kransvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

One of two species belonging to the genus Roosia, endemic to sheer, quarzitic, sandstone cliff-faces in the heart of the winter-rainfall region of South...

16 / 10 / 2017 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Nemesia diffusa var. diffusa

Nemesia diffusa
Common names: white cape snapdragon (Eng.); witleeubekkie (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

This beautiful, dainty little herb is covered in small, white flowers in spring and early summer, and makes a spectacular display in a mass planting....

16 / 10 / 2017 | Karen Wall | Harold Porter NBG
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Lasiosiphon rigidus

Lasiosiphon rigidus (John Manning)
Common names: none recorded
Family: Thymelaeaceae

A small-leaved shrublet with fragrant, bright chrome-yellow flowers surrounded by vivid yellow bracts, flushed with dark red....

23 / 10 / 2017 | Refilwe Kolokoto | Compton Herbarium
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Cleretum bellidiforme

Cleretum bellidiforme in cultivation (Graham Duncan).
Common names: Buckbay-vygie, Livingstone Bokbayfig, Livingstone Daisy (Eng.); bokbaaivygie, sandvygie, skilpadkos, ysplant (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Cleretum bellidiforme, previously Dorotheanthus bellidiformis, is one of South Africa’s most famous wildflower exports, grown worldwide for its dazzling,...

23 / 10 / 2017 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ledebouria confusa

Ledebouria confusa, a handsome and attractive plant for full sun.
Common names: grey-leaved African hyacinth
Family: Hyacinthaceae

A medium sized bulbous plant, which occurs across the Highveld areas of the North West, Limpopo, Gauteng and Mpumalanga Provinces of South Africa. This...

30 / 10 / 2017 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Pelargonium salmoneum

Pelargonium salmoneum
Common names: salmon pelargonium
Family: Geraniaceae

This amazing succulent, garden plant, sizzles from a sunny corner for most of the year with its salmon-pink flowers cheering up borders, pots, tubs, rockeries,...

30 / 10 / 2017 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe howmanii

Aloe howmanii
Common names: Howman’s cliff aloe (Eng.); waaier-grasaalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

A rare, cliff-dwelling aloe, only known from sheer, south-facing cliffs of the Chimanimani Mountains near Chimanimani (formerly Melsetter), in eastern...

06 / 11 / 2017 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Albizia suluensis

Albizia suluensis (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: Zulu false-thorn, Zulu albizia (Eng.); zuluvalsdoring (Afr.); ingwebu-enkulu, ungwebo omkulu, unyazangoma (Zulu)
Family: Fabaceae

A beautiful, elegant tree only found in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It is known for its hard and durable timber. It is very similar to Albizia lebbeck,...

06 / 11 / 2017 | Tlou Moloto | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Wachendorfia brachyandra

Wachendorfia brachyandra (Gigi Laidler)
Common names: short-stamen butterfly lily, lax butterfly lily
Family: Haemodoraceae

This is a long-lived and free-flowering species, ideal for a sunny rockery....

13 / 11 / 2017 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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