Plants of the Week

Sorocephalus imbricatus

Common names: tile-leaf clusterhead, tile-leaf powderpuff, gland-bearing soranthe (Eng.)

Family: Proteaceae

An outstanding shrub with rounded, sweetly scented flowerheads of white, silky hairy flowers with maroon perianths and pink bracts, that displays its horticultural...

22 / 08 / 2022 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG

Chionanthus foveolatus subsp foveolatus

Chionanthus foveolatus, leaves, stem, green fruits. Photo Reuben Heydenrych

Common names: pock ironwood (Eng.); pokysterhout (Afr.); idlebedudu, idlabatheka (isiZulu); umdlebe, umqumaswele, isiduli (isiXhosa); musiri (Tshivenda); morasane (

Family: Oleaceae

Chionanthus foveolatus subsp. foveolatus is a fairly hardy, attractive, evergreen, forest tree bearing sweetly scented, white flowers in spring to summer,...

22 / 08 / 2022 | Fergy Nkadimeng | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Cyanella alba

Common names: white lady's-hand, white cyanella (Eng.); toe-toe-uintjie (Afr.)

Family: Tecophilaeaceae

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15 / 08 / 2022 | Sithandokuhle Wendy Ngcongo | Kirstenbosch NBG

Serruria elongata

Common names: long-stalk spiderhead (Eng.); langsteelspinnekopbos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

Among the elegant fynbos plants belonging to the Proteaceae family is Serruria elongata, also known as the long-stalk spiderhead, with its silvery pink,...

15 / 08 / 2022 | Nomndeni Nkosi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gladiolus serpenticola

Common names: serpentine sword lily, serpentine gladiolus

Family: Iridaceae

A striking, attractive, summer-flowering plant, with spectacular, giant flower spikes of 18 to 30, small, pale pink flowers with pale mauve markings on...

08 / 08 / 2022 | Winfred Velephi Ngwenya | Lowveld NBG

Kniphofia ichopensis

Common names: Ixopo red-hot poker (Eng.), Ixopovuurpyl (Afr.) icacane (isiZulu).

Family: Asphodelaceae

This is a delicate, grass-like plant, with dull green, distichous leaves and mostly creamy or rarely pink flowers in a lax inflorescence in summer....

08 / 08 / 2022 | Bongekile Ndlovu | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Elionurus muticus

Common names: wire grass, wire lemongrass, lemon grass, lemon-scented grass, matrass grass, silky grass, simon grass, sour grass, wine grass (Eng.); elsgras, haasgr

Family: Poaceae

Elionurus muticus is an ornamental grass that forms dense tufts with wiry, narrow leaf blades and showy, curved inflorescences. This grass is easily distinguished...

01 / 08 / 2022 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria

Erica retorta

Common names: hair-leaf bottle heath, bottle heath (Eng.), bottelheide, flessieheide (Afr.)

Family: Ericaceae

Erica retorta is one of the sticky-flowered ericas that grows on the dry mountain slopes above the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden, in Betty’s...

01 / 08 / 2022 | Loretta Floors | Harold Porter NBG

Thereianthus bulbiferus

Common names: bulb-bearing summer pipes (Eng.); somerpypie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

An attractive plant with moderately dense spikes of light to mid-blue flowers that blossom in abundance in burnt veld, which makes it difficult to miss....

25 / 07 / 2022 | Naomi Mdayi | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Drimia altissima

Common names: tall white squill (Eng.); jeukbol, maermanbol, maermanui (Afr.); lukhovu (Siswati), isiklenama, umahlokolosi, umgulube (isiZulu)

Family: Hyacinthaceae

If you are looking for one of those mass flowering, tall bulbs, this is the one....

25 / 07 / 2022 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG

Adromischus umbraticola

Common names: cliff adromischus (Eng); krans-brosplakkie (Afr)

Family: Crassulaceae

Adromischus umbraticola is a fast-growing, tufted, dwarf, succulent shrub, with attractive rounded leaves and short spikes of pink flowers in late summer....

18 / 07 / 2022 | Caroline Marima | Pretoria NBG

Berkheya multijuga

Common names: spiny berg thistle, thorny mountain thistle (Eng.); doringrige-bergdissel (Afr.); mohatollo ntsoa-ntsane-ea-loti (seSotho); imboziso emhlophe, ukhakha

Family: Asteraceae

The roughness of the bright green leaves in a rosette formation makes the Berkheya multijuga irresistible to watch....

18 / 07 / 2022 | Sibahle Gumede | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Penaea cneorum

Common names: common brickleaf, common noughts-and-crosses, naughty crosses (Eng.)

Family: Penaeaceae

Penaea cneorum is a lanky shrub with leathery foliage and compact spikes of small yellow flowers that rest upon distinctive greenish-yellow bracts and...

11 / 07 / 2022 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Monoculus monstrosus

Common names: one-eye monster (Eng.); trekkertjie (Afr.).

Family: Asteraceae

This plant is now called Osteospermum monstrosum (Burm.f.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt...

11 / 07 / 2022 | | Kirstenbosch NBG

Tripteris clandestina

Common names: one-eye monster (Eng.); trekkertjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

This plant is now called Osteospermum monstrosum (Burm.f.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt...

11 / 07 / 2022 | | Kirstenbosch NBG

Osteospermum monstrosum

Common names: one-eye monster (Eng.); trekkertjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Osteospermum monstrosum is arguably the commonest Namaqualand spring annual. Most people will have noticed these small plants with yellow flowerheads and...

11 / 07 / 2022 | Nicola Bergh | Compton Herbarium

Drimia sphaerocephala

Common names: round-head drimia (Eng.); snotuintjie (Afr.); hlare-sa-noko (Sesotho).

Family: Hyacinthaceae

The phrase “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” is well expressed by the plant Drimia sphaerocephala. A bulbous plant wearing a rounded,...

04 / 07 / 2022 | Lesiba Papo | National Herbarium Pretoria

Stilbe ericoides

Common names: pink stilbe (Eng.)

Family: Stilbaceae

Pink stilbe is an erect or straggling, resprouting, ericoid shrub with densely leafy, velvety branches and pink flowers in dense, rounded spikes at the...

04 / 07 / 2022 | Kamogelo Solomon Modimola | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ledebouria lachenalioides

Common names: pink African hyacinth

Family: Hyacinthaceae

A rare bulbous plant from high in the Drakensberg, with broadly lanceolate, green leaves and large, pink flowers in spring....

27 / 06 / 2022 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Albizia versicolor

Common names: poison-pod albizia, large-leaved albizia, large-leaved false-thorn, (Eng.); umphiso, umbhangazi, umvangazi (isiZulu); grootblaarvalsdoring, sandkiaat

Family: Fabaceae

Albizia versicolor is a very attractive tree with its large white to greenish-yellow flower heads, bright green to reddish pods and straight trunk with...

27 / 06 / 2022 | Sboniso Zwane | Pretoria NBG

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