Plants of the Week

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E.g., 03/12/2024
E.g., 03/12/2024

Asparagus retrofractus

Asparagus retrofractus
Common names: zigzag asparagus, ming fern bush; ming asparagus; pom pom asparagus (Eng.); katdoring (Afr.)
Family: Asparagaceae

Quite often, this plant is mistaken for a fern when in-fact it is an attractive, scrambling herbaceous flowering plant, that has zigzagging stems clothed...

12 / 10 / 2020 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea curvata

Protea curvata
Common names: Barberton sugarbush, Barberton lowveld sugarbush, serpentine sugarbush (Eng.); barbertonlaeveldsuikerbos, serpentynsuikerbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

...

05 / 10 / 2020 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Anisodontea dissecta

Anisodontea dissecta
Common names: Ruens mallow (Eng.)
Family: Malvaceae

Anisodontea dissecta is an attractive shrub with a bright showy display of white to light pink flowers to brighten your garden in spring.Fig. 1: The white...

05 / 10 / 2020 | Lindokuhle Sibisi | Compton Herbarium
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Haworthia genus

Haworthia cymbiformis
Family: Asphodelaceae

These dwarf leaf succulents with their extremely variable compact rosettes of leaves with different colours, patterns and shapes, are extremely popular...

28 / 09 / 2020 | Ronell R. Klopper | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Polygala gazensis

Polygala gazensis
Common names: Gazaland butterfly bush, Gazaland milkwort (Eng.)
Family: Polygalaceae

Polygala gazensis is one of the lesser known polygalas, with an unusual yellow-bronzed tinge to the green foliage that is eye-catching in the garden, particularly...

28 / 09 / 2020 | Zoleka May | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Haworthiopsis reinwardtii

Haworthiopsis reinwardtii
Common names: Reinwardt's haworthiopsis, zebra wart (Eng.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

A clump-forming, spotty or zebra-striped, spiral leaved succulent, with an intriguing miniature size and outstanding form....

21 / 09 / 2020 | Bathabile Ndlovu | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Apodolirion amyanum

Apodolirion amyanum
Common names: Amy’s apodolirion (Eng.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

...

21 / 09 / 2020 | Pamela Nondumiso Sgatya | CREW
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Erica tragulifera

Erica tragulifera
Common names: Kamanassie white heath (Eng.); kamanassiewitheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

This attractive, evergreen, little plant boasts with an eye-catching display of white flowers from winter until almost the end of spring....

14 / 09 / 2020 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Hibiscus coddii

Hibiscus coddii
Common names: Codd’s red hibiscus (Eng.); bokgobakataba (Sepedi)
Family: Malvaceae

An upright shrubby perennial with attractive, bright red flowers in autumn; it is a decorative garden ornamental or container plant in full sun or partial...

14 / 09 / 2020 | Fergy Nkadimeng | Pretoria NBG
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Rhoicissus rhomboidea

Rhoicissus rhomboidea
Common names: glossy forest grape, glossy wild grape, ropewood (Eng.); blinkblaarbosdruif, bimbrikos, bobbejaantou (Afr.); umbovu (Swa.); tshikundwi-mae (Ven.); umt
Family: Vitaceae

A very adaptable, climbing plant that is suitable for indoors as well as outdoors. It is rather vigorous in its spread and makes a great cover for those...

07 / 09 / 2020 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Crassula cremnophila

Crassula cremnophila
Common names: cliff crassula (Eng.); kransrosie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula cremnophila is a rare, dwarf, cluster-forming, cliff-dwelling succulent, up to 70 mm high, with leaves in a tight, hemispherical, bluish green...

31 / 08 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Schotia capitata

Schotia capitata
Common names: dwarf boer-bean, forest tree-fuschia, wild-fuschia, Transvaal boer-bean (Eng.); kleinboerboon, transvaalboerboon (Afr.); isincasha, uvovovo (Zulu).
Family: Fabaceae

A dwarf relative of the weeping boer-bean, with a short, bushy form and numerous scarlet flowers in dense heads in spring and early summer, common in eastern...

31 / 08 / 2020 | Thabang Makola | Karoo Desert NBG
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Encephalartos nubimontanus

Encephalartos nubimontanus
Common names: blue cycad, cloud mountain cycad (Eng.); bloubroodboom (Afr.), isigciki-somkhovu (isiZulu); gebeleweni (siSwati)
Family: Zamiaceae

A stunning, desirable, fast-growing cycad, with beautiful, twisted, grey-blue leaves; illegal collecting of wild plants, because it is in high demand as...

17 / 08 / 2020 | Winfred Velephi Ngwenya | Lowveld NBG
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Cotyledon tanquana

Cotyledon tanquana
Common names: Tanqua cotyledon (Eng.); tankwaplakkie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

The Tanqua cotyledon (Cotyledon tanquana) is a recently named succulent shrublet from the Tanqua Karoo in the Western Cape. It has sticky, yellowish green,...

17 / 08 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cyanella hyacinthoides

Cyanella hyacinthoides
Common names: lady’s hand (Eng.); blouraaptol, dolraap, klipraap, raap, raapdol, raaptol, raaptoluintjie, raapuintjie, tolraap (Afr.)
Family: Tecophilaeaceae

...

10 / 08 / 2020 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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Ledebouria hypoxidioides

Ledebouria hypoxidioides
Common names: Grahamstown African hyacinth
Family: Hyacinthaceae

A highly unique species in the genus since it is the only species with leaves that are densely covered with shaggy hairs. This species is also only known...

10 / 08 / 2020 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Staberoha cernua

Staberoha cernua, female plant. (Photo Felix Riegel)
Common names: droopy tasselreed
Family: Restionaceae

An attractive, small, tufted restio, with brown-tan seed heads that is ideal for fynbos gardens. ...

03 / 08 / 2020 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Lanaria lanata

Lanaria lanata
Common names: Cape edelweiss (Eng.); kapokblom, perdekapok (Afr.)
Family: Lanariaceae

Lanaria lanata is packed full of surprises. With its grass-like leaves and white, woolly inflorescence, one would think that that would be all it has to...

27 / 07 / 2020 | Karen Wall | Harold Porter NBG
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Albuca heydenrychii

Albuca heydenrychii
Common names: yellow cliff-albuca (Eng.); krans-slymstok (Afr.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Albuca heydenrychii is a cliff-dwelling, bulbous plant with soft, flaccid leaves up to 1 m long and a raceme of bright yellow flowers in midsummer. It...

27 / 07 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cyanella lutea subsp. lutea

Cyanella lutea subsp. lutea
Common names: five fingers, yellow lady’s hand (Eng.); geelraaptol (Afr.)
Family: Tecophilaeaceae

Cyanella lutea subsp. lutea is a rewarding, long-lived cormous perennial that blooms reliably every year. ...

20 / 07 / 2020 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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