Plants of the Week

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E.g., 27/11/2024
E.g., 27/11/2024

Erica sitiens

Erica sitiens, pink form in the Erica Living Collection, Kirstenbosch.
Common names: thirsty heath (Eng.) dors-heide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

This upright or sprawling shrub becomes covered with masses of pink, red or white flowers, or a combination of red with white lobes, during the summer...

07 / 11 / 2022 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Alepidea cordifolia

Alepidea cordifolia inflorescence. Photo Barbara Clulow
Common names: heart-leaf alepidea (Eng.); iqwili (isiXhosa); ikhathazo (isiZulu); lesoko (South Sotho), inkatsankatsa (Swazi)
Family: Apiaceae

A robust, erect herbaceous perennial, with flat-topped flowerheads bearing several star-shaped, white to cream and greenish flowers. It is becoming increasingly...

31 / 10 / 2022 | Mashudu Tshitereke | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Bulbine sceletium

Bulbine sceletium
Common names: blue cliff-bulbine (Eng.); bloukranskopieva (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbine sceletium is a cliff-squatting, aloe-like plant with sparingly branched rosettes of soft, pale green, striated leaves and solitary inflorescences...

31 / 10 / 2022 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Delosperma velutinum

Delosperma velutinum white flower EVJ
Common names: silky-leaved cliff-delosperma (Eng.); syblaarkransvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Delosperma velutinum grows widespread along riverine cliffs in KwaZulu-Natal. It is a cliff-hugger with a spreading habit and can be used as a pot plant...

24 / 10 / 2022 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Eucomis zambesiaca

Eucomis zambesiaca
Common names: Zambezi pineapple flower, tropical pineapple lily (Eng.); witpynappellelie (Afr.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This stunner, is one of the smaller, and pleasantly scented species of Eucomis and the only one that occurs only in Limpopo province....

24 / 10 / 2022 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Gonialoe genus

Gonialoe variegata. Photo J.C. Kruger
Common names: partridge aloes, partridge-breasted aloes, tiger aloes, variegated aloes (Eng.); bontaalwyne, bontbees, kanniedood aalwyne (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

The uniquely mottled and folded, three-ranked leaves of these miniature variegated aloes make them very popular for container gardening or as a point of...

17 / 10 / 2022 | Ronell R. Klopper | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Pelargonium cucullatum x betulinum 'Kommetjie'

Pelargonium ‘Kommetjie’
Common names: Kommetjie hybrid pelargonium
Family: Geraniaceae

Bright, floriferous and hardy, this is a natural hybrid between two of the Cape’s finest pelargoniums, Pelargonium cucullatum and P. betulinum, that...

17 / 10 / 2022 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gethyllis villosa

Gethyllis villosa flower. Photo Lennart N.
Common names: hairy kukumakranka (Eng.); kukumakranka, koekemakranka, kroekemakrank (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Gethyllis villosa is one of the most intriguing members of the Amaryllidaceae family in southern Africa, due to its peculiar hairy, spiral foliage, fleeting...

10 / 10 / 2022 | Asiphe Mtsuma | Karoo Desert NBG
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Dianthus basuticus subsp. basuticus

Dianthus basuticus subsp. basuticus. Photo Deon du Plessis
Common names: Lesotho carnation, Lesotho pink, Drakensberg carnation (Eng.); Lesothose wilde-angelier (Afr.); hlokoa-la-tsela (Sesotho)
Family: Caryophyllaceae

Dianthus basuticus subsp. basuticus is an exquisite, almost tufted, evergreen to deciduous perennial. It is extremely hardy and bears a clump of beautiful,...

10 / 10 / 2022 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG
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Sansevieria pearsonii

Sansevieria pearsonii
Common names: spiky mother-in-law’s-tongue, gemsbok horns, elephant’s toothpick (Eng.); bobbejaan-se-dood, gemsbokhoring (Afr.)
Family: Ruscaceae

Sansevieria pearsonii is a colony-forming, perennial succulent, with an upright fan of cylindrical leaves that end in a hard, sharp point. Easy to grow,...

03 / 10 / 2022 | Philisiwe Nonhlanhla Biyela | Pretoria NBG
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Agathosma martiana

Agathosma martiana flowers. Photo Johan Eksteen
Common names: Humansdorp buchu (Eng.); Humansdorp boegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

A hardy, white-flowering, aromatic shrub for the fragrance, buchu or fynbos garden....

03 / 10 / 2022 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Plectranthus grallatus

Plectranthus grallatus, Hogsback. Photo Nicola van Berkel
Common names: Drakensberg spurflower, tuberous spurflower (Eng.); Drakensberg spoorsalie, knolspoorsalie (Afr.); umnyamawempunzi (isiZulu)
Family: Lamiaceae

An herbaceous shrub, that resprouts annually from underground tuberous stems, with large, decorative, soft leaves and white flowers in late summer; easy...

26 / 09 / 2022 | Stemmer Ngalo | Free State NBG
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Azima tetracantha

Azima tetracantha, spines and fruits. Photo Alice Notten
Common names: bee-sting bush, needle bush, four-thorns, stink bush (Eng.); byangelbos, groendoring, spelddoring, naaldebos, naaibos, stinkbos (Afr.); igcegceleya, i
Family: Salvadoraceae

Azima tetracantha is an ornamental, scrambling shrub, with interesting tetragonal branches and large spines....

26 / 09 / 2022 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica alopecurus

Erica alopecurus. Photo Suvarna Parbhoo Mohan
Common names: foxtail heath (Eng.); katstertheide (Eng.); chalbeke-e-nyenyane, chesa-litelu, molomo-oa-lekolo-kotoane (Sesotho)
Family: Ericaceae

Foxtail heath has interesting, leafy branches that resembles a fox’s tail, as the common name suggests. It has densely clustered spikes of small,...

19 / 09 / 2022 | Sibahle Gumede | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Erica inflata

Erica inflata
Common names: balloon heath, inflated erica (Eng.); ballonheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica inflata is one of the brightest ericas and displays a profusion of umbels of urn-shaped flowers, varying from pale pink to dark rosy-pink, throughout...

19 / 09 / 2022 | Kamogelo Solomon Modimola | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Agathosma pattisonae

Agathosma pattisonae flowers close
Common names: boulder buchu (Eng.); klipboegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

The boulder buchu is a rigid, aromatic, rock-squatting Agathosma only known from the Cedarberg in the Western Cape. Unique in its cliff and boulder habitat,...

12 / 09 / 2022 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos dyerianus

Encephalartos dyerianus
Common names: Lillie’s Cycad, Lowveld Cycad (Eng.); Broodboom, Lillie-se-broodboom, Lillie-broodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos dyerianus is a medium-sized, bluish-green cycad with a very dense leaf canopy. This is an extremely rare cycad, and is endemic to South Africa,...

12 / 09 / 2022 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Ledebouria reillyana

Ledebouria reillyana grows well in containders
Common names: Reilly’s African hyacinth
Family: Hyacinthaceae

A dwarf, cryptic bulbous plant, hidden deep in remote bush in the heart of Eswatini, usually producing one or two broad leaves and inconspicuous, strongly...

05 / 09 / 2022 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Aponogeton angustifolius

Aponogeton angustifolius showing white petals and ripe orange pollen. Photo Stuart Hall
Common names: delicate Cape-pondweed, narrow-leaved Cape-pondweed (Eng.); delikate waterblommetjie, wateruintjie (Afr.)
Family: Aponogetonaceae

Aponogeton angustifolius is a freshwater aquatic, with small, ornamental floating leaves and delicate, short sprays of white flowers. It is becoming increasingly...

05 / 09 / 2022 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Limeum aethiopicum

Limeum aethiopicum
Common names: pest lizard’s-foot (Eng.); koggelmandervoet, koggelmandervoetkaroo, aarbossie, boesmandagga (Afr.)
Family: Limeaceae

Limeum aethiopicum is a well-grazed veld plant, best suited to the arid areas because it is drought resistant....

29 / 08 / 2022 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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