Plants of the Week

Ficus burtt-davyi

Common names: scrambling fig, Burtt Davy’s fig, veld fig (Engl.); veldvy, rankvy, veldwildevy (Afr.); umthombe, uluzi (isiZulu); uluzi, umdendekwana (isiXhosa)

Family: Moraceae

Ficus burtt-davyi is typically a lax shrub occurring in coastal scrub or thicket, that becomes a robust creeper in inland forests and a small multi-stemmed...

28 / 09 / 2015 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW

Metrosideros angustifolia

Common names: Cape-gum, lance-leaved ironheart (Eng.); smalblad, smalblaar (Afr.)

Family: Myrtaceae

At first glance this plant creates an alert reaction in the keen Fynbos enthusiast, as it bears a resemblance to some South African weeds. However,...

28 / 09 / 2015 | Megan Blatchford | Kirstenbosch NBG

Satyrium rhodanthum

Common names: None recorded

Family: Orchidaceae

The Endangered Satyrium rhodanthum grows into a tapering, majestic beauty with flamboyant pink or red flowers....

21 / 09 / 2015 | Kaveesha Naicker | CREW

Senecio arenarius

Common names: hongerblom (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

This bright, hardy annual will grow well in large parts of South Africa....

21 / 09 / 2015 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG

Vachellia robusta subsp. robusta

Common names: broadpod robust thorn (Eng.); enkeldoring (Afr.); mooka (Nso.); mvumbangwenya (Tso.); mokhu (Tsw.); muvumba-ngwena (Ven.);umngamanzi (Zul.)

Family: Fabaceae

This is a small to medium, upright, deciduous thorn tree consisting of a narrow crown. The narrow upright growth and majestic stature, makes it one of...

14 / 09 / 2015 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Ochna natalitia

Common names: showy plane, coastal- boxwood, coastal- redwood, Natal plane (Eng.); pronkrooihout, Natalrooihout (Afr.); mbovu, isithundu (isiZulu); tshipfure (Tshiv

Family: Ochnaceae

Ochna natalitia is a wonderful, large shrub to small tree, not yet fully harnessed by gardeners, and offers an attractive display almost continuously through...

14 / 09 / 2015 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Acacia hebeclada

This plant is now called Vachellia hebeclada...

10 / 09 / 2015 | | Kirstenbosch NBG

Searsia pondoensis

Common names: many-veined currant (Engl.); veelnerftaaibos (Afr.); inHlangushane (SiSwati)

Family: Anacardiaceae

The many-veined currant is a relatively small perennial re-sprouter with green to greyish foliage, confined to grassland and open woodland....

07 / 09 / 2015 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Erica baueri subsp. gouriquae

Common names: Gouriqua heath, bridal heath

Family: Ericaceae

Erica baueri subsp. baueri is one of the best known ericas and popular as a South African fynbos garden plant. A second subspecies, subsp. gouriquae, was...

07 / 09 / 2015 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Euphorbia grandidens

Common names: valleybush euphorbia, large-toothed euphorbia (Eng.); valleibosnaboom, groottandnaboom (Afr.); umhlontlo (isiXhosa); umhlonhlo wehlathi (isiZulu)

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia grandidens is many branched shrub or tree, up to 16 m tall or more, with one to several, main succulent trunks....

31 / 08 / 2015 | Sifiso Mnxati | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Protea amplexicaulis

Common names: clasping-leaf sugarbush (Eng.); aardroos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

This sprawling protea shyly hides its velvety flowerheads under its unusual grey-green, pink-margined leaves....

31 / 08 / 2015 | Aimee Plutsick | Kirstenbosch NBG

Vepris carringtoniana

Common names: winged white-ironwood; coastal white-ironwood (Eng.); vlerksteelwitysterhout, kuswitysterhout (Afr.), umozane (isiZulu)

Family: Rutaceae

The winged white-ironwood is a truly beautiful tree that varies greatly in height, depending on climate and rainfall. Its leaves are densely covered with...

24 / 08 / 2015 | Aluwani Tshiila | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Curio pondoensis

Common names: Pondo cliff daisy (Eng.); Pondo krans-aster (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

The Pondo cliff daisy is a cliff-hanger, leaf and stem succulent, endemic to the river valleys of northern Pondoland, in the Eastern Cape. The attractive,...

24 / 08 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Nemesia arenifera

Common names: None recorded.

Family: Scrophulariaceae

The newest nemesia, Nemesia arenifera, was described in 2013 as a new species. It has been overlooked since 1904, as it was confused with Nemesia...

17 / 08 / 2015 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Arctotis revoluta

Common names: curly leaf arctotis, krulblaar gousblom (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

This extremely vigorous, fast-growing shrub is equally suited to coastal or fynbos gardens....

17 / 08 / 2015 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG

Vepris reflexa

Common names: bushveld white-ironwood (Eng.); bosveldwitysterhout (Afr.); umozane (isiZulu)

Family: Rutaceae

Vepris reflexa is a glossy-leafed, evergreen tree with aromatic, apple-green foliage, which gives off a lemony scent when crushed. It grows large in the...

10 / 08 / 2015 | Aluwani Tshiila | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Eriocephalus racemosus

Common names: coast wild rosemary (Eng.); strandveldkapok, kapkappie, strandkapokbos, kapokkie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Eriocephalus racemosus is not only an ideal low screening plant but will also attract insects, and in turn the insects will encourage the birds to visit...

10 / 08 / 2015 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Dumasia villosa var. villosa

Common names: black bean (Eng.); ukhalimele (isiZulu)

Family: Fabaceae

The beautiful blue seeds of dumasia are what caught my eyes and immediately I thought people should know about this beautiful plant. Also, its linear,...

03 / 08 / 2015 | Tandiwe Nkonki | National Herbarium Pretoria

Chlorophytum cremnophilum

Common names: cliff spider plant, cliff hen and chickens (Eng.); krans hen-en-kuikens (Afr.)

Family: Agavaceae

The cliff spider plant is a new, recently named, cliff-hanger species from the Kouga and Grootrivier tributaries of the Gamtoos, in the Eastern Cape. Unlike...

03 / 08 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe ciliaris var ciliaris

This plant is now called Aloiampelos ciliaris var. ciliaris....

30 / 07 / 2015 | | Kirstenbosch NBG

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