Plants of the Week

Asparagus asparagoides

Common names: Cape smilax, African asparagus smilax, baby smilax, bridal creeper, bridal veil creeper (Eng.); breȅblaarklimop, krulkransie, gnarboola, narbass (Afr

Family: Asparagaceae

A scrambling shrub with lovely glossy foliage, for shade or sun, in the garden or indoors, and excellent for flower arrangements, but take note that outside...

04 / 09 / 2016 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG

Argyrolobium tomentosum

Common names: velvety yellow bush pea (Eng.); umadlozana, umlomomnandi (isiZulu)

Family: Fabaceae

A scrambling, evergreen shrub with yellow flowers in spring and summer; it is a pretty garden plant and is one of South Africa’s magical medicinal...

19 / 09 / 2016 | Bulannga Mufhati | Lowveld NBG

Allophylus natalensis

Common names: dune false-currant (Eng.); duinevalstaaibos (Afr.); umgqalagquzu, uzingathi (Xhosa); isihlohlela (Zulu)

Family: Sapindaceae

A very decorative, evergreen shrub or small tree, which produces tiny, sweet-scented, white to cream-coloured flowers in autumn. It is hard not to notice...

10 / 10 / 2016 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloiampelos juddii

Common names: Koudeberg aloe (Eng.); Baardskeerdersbosvuurpylaalwyn, (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloiampelos juddii is a welcome addition to the Cape flora and in particular the assemblage of Fynbos aloes that are found in the mountainous and coastal...

07 / 11 / 2016 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG

Alepidea natalensis

Common names: Natal star flower

Family: Apiaceae

A dainty perennial with starry white flowers on long stalks, from the grasslands of the Drakensberg....

21 / 11 / 2016 | Lungani Mlaba | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Asparagus africanus

Common names: bush asparagus, African asparagus, wild asparagus, climbing asparagus fern, ornamental asparagus, sparrow grass (Eng.); haakdoring, katdoring, wag-’

Family: Asparagaceae

A perennial climber or sub-shrub with woody, prickly, scrambling stems, fern-like foliage, clusters of beautiful small, white, sweetly scented flowers...

09 / 01 / 2017 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe vanbalenii

Common names: van balen's aloe, crawling octopus (Eng.); van-balen-se-aalwyn (Afr.); icenalamatshe, icenandhlovu (isiZulu); lihala (siSwati)

Family: Asphodelaceae

This is one of the most beautiful and distinctive aloes, with its long, twisted and recurved leaves resembling an octopus....

22 / 05 / 2017 | Anelisiwe Nocwanya | Karoo Desert NBG

Aloe reynoldsii

Common names: yellow spineless aloe, Mbashe aloe

Family: Asphodelaceae

...

29 / 05 / 2017 | Ntuthuko Mabuya | Pretoria NBG

Adenium swazicum

Common names: summer impala lily, Swazi lily (Eng.); somerimpalalelie, Swazi-lelie (Afr.); sisila-sempala (SiSwati)

Family: Apocynaceae

A dwarf, succulent shrub with pretty, lily-like, pink flowers borne on thick branches from late summer to autumn; a good rockery plant and a useful medicinal...

12 / 06 / 2017 | Mufhati Bulannga | Lowveld NBG

Aloe rouxii

Common names: Low's Creek grass aloe (Eng.); grasaalwyn (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe rouxii is a recently named, small grass aloe, only known from the Lows Creek region, near Barberton (Mpumalanga, South Africa), where it grows on...

03 / 07 / 2017 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Albizia tanganyicensis subsp. tanganyicensis

Common names: paperbark false-thorn, paperbark albizia, sneezewood (Eng.); papierbasvalsdoring (Afr.); ugudha-mfeni (isiXhosa); mulelu, munungufhefhe (Tshivenda)

Family: Fabaceae

A very attractive tree with white to ochre peeling bark and creamy white, sweetly scented flowers in early summer, suitable for any medium-sized garden;...

10 / 07 / 2017 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Acokanthera oblongifolia

Common names: dune poison-bush (Eng.), duinegifboom, gewone gifboom (Afr.) inhlungunyembe, ubuhlungu-benyoka, umhlangashiso (isiZulu), intlungunyembe, inxinebe (isi

Family: Apocynaceae

Beautiful white and sweetly scented flowers followed by large, red to purple fruits which turn purple-red to black when mature, but an extremely poisonous...

31 / 07 / 2017 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Agave americana

Common names: American agave, American aloe, century plant (Eng.); Amerikaanse aalwee, Amerikaanse aalwyn, blou-aalwee, blougaringboom, gareboom, kaalgaarboom, maka

Family: Agavaceae

Century plants are popular ornamental plants that are native to Central America, southern North and northern South America. Agave americana is no exception...

14 / 08 / 2017 | Cynthia Mikateko Baloyi | National Herbarium Pretoria

Aloe varimaculata

Common names: Humpata aloe (Eng.); Humpata-aalwyn (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

A small shrubby aloe with rosettes of beautifully mottled, recurved leaves with fairly large, sharply pointed teeth, and orange-reddish flowers with yellowish...

28 / 08 / 2017 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloiampelos

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

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

Albizia suluensis

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

Ammocharis coranica

Common names: karoo lily, koranna lily, sore eye flower, bible flower, ground lily (Eng.); berglelie, gifbol, seeroogblom (Afr.); boka (Sesotho); isidiya, icukudo,

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Ammocharis coranica lives up to its common name, sore eye flower. This striking beautiful bulb, with its umbel inflorescence, delivers spectacular flower...

20 / 11 / 2017 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG

Aloe reitzii var. vernalis

Common names: Vryheid aloe

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe reitzii var. vernalis is a rare endemic known from a single population, growing on steep slopes around Vryheid in KwaZulu-Natal. It has showy, dark...

11 / 12 / 2017 | Hlengiwe Mtshali | CREW

Azanza garckeana

Common names: azanza, quarters, Rhodesian tree-hibiscus, slime-apple, snot-apple, tree-hibiscus (Eng.); slymappel, snotappel (Afr.); caglacagla, ixaguxagu, ixakuxak

Family: Malvaceae

Azanza garckeana with its non-aggressive root system, large leaves and crinkled yellow flowers, makes a beautiful shade tree which has the added bonus...

18 / 12 / 2017 | Ashton Welcome | National Herbarium Pretoria

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