Plants of the Week

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E.g., 24/11/2024
E.g., 24/11/2024

Mimetes argenteus

Mimetes argenteus
Common names: silver pagoda, silver-leaved bottle brush,(Eng.); vaal-stompie, luisbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

‘I once saw two men, veritable rough diamonds, who probably had never noticed a flower before, stop in their tracks before a vase full of these flowers....

18 / 05 / 2015 | Megan Blatchford | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Kalanchoe lanceolata

Flowers
Common names: narrow-leaved kalanchoe (Eng.); moithimodiso (Setswana); intelezi (Ndebele)
Family: Crassulaceae

Narrow-leaved kalanchoe is a strikingly beautiful, but deadly plant, thriving in rocky habitats in the northern parts of the country....

11 / 05 / 2015 | Lerato Hoveka | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Asparagus ramosissimus

Foliage and fruits
Common names: cascade asparagus (Eng.); krulkransie (Afr.); ibutha (Zulu and siSwati); kgopa, sesilatsane (Sesotho)
Family: Asparagaceae

Asparagus ramosissimus is an evergreen perennial with abundant soft, light green foliage and a cascading habit, suited to the shady garden or patio....

11 / 05 / 2015 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pauridia aquatica

Common names: Cape star (Eng.); sterretjie, vleiblommetjie, vlei-uintjie, watersterblom, watersterretjie (Afr.)
Family: Hypoxidaceae

Pauridia aquatica is a small geophytic plant suitable for water gardens and wetlands. Its white, star-shaped flowers with bright yellow centres, make a...

04 / 05 / 2015 | Victoria Wilman | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Leonotis leonurus

Leonotis leonurus
Common names: wild dagga, lion's ear, leonotis (Eng.); wildedagga, duiwelstabak (Afr); imvovo, utywala-bengcungcu, umfincafincane, umunyamunya (isiXhosa); umfincafi
Family: Lamiaceae

This plant is a firm favourite in South African gardens for its colourful flower display coupled with its ability to attract nectar feeding sunbirds by...

04 / 05 / 2015 | B Busch | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Dombeya cymosa

Flowers of Dombeya cymosa. Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: small-flowered dombeya, smooth wild pear, Natal dombeya, Natal wild pear, hairless dombeya (Eng.); gladdeblompeer, Nataldrolpeer, gladdedrolpeer (Afr.
Family: Malvaceae

Dombeya cymosa is an ornamental, deciduous, small tree that bears showy, drooping, white, sweet-scented flowers....

27 / 04 / 2015 | Nonkululo Phephu | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Cotyledon woodii

Cotyledon woodii
Common names: Wood's Cotyledon
Family: Crassulaceae

Cotyledon woodii is suitable as an interesting succulent shrub for containers or rockeries, with its bold, orange, bird-pollinated flowers....

27 / 04 / 2015 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Freesia alba

 -  see -  Freesia leichtlinii subsp. alba...

22 / 04 / 2015 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Scabiosa columbaria

Scabiosa columbaria. Photo: Damien Coulson
Common names: wild scabious (Engl.); bitterbos (Afr.),tlhako- ea- pitsi, selomi, mamokhale, moholungoane (South Sotho); isilawu, esikhulu, makgha (isiXhosa); ibheka
Family: Dipsacaceae

This is a lovely wild flower species with faintly scented blooms, appearing throughout the year....

20 / 04 / 2015 | Azwinndini Mudau | Free State NBG
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Thamnochortus spicigerus

Thamnochortus spicigerus
Common names: large thatching reed (Engl.); duineriet, olifantsriet, dekriet (Afr.)
Family: Restionaceae

Thamnochortus spicigerus is a striking, tufted- or tussock-forming perennial that will make a lovely feature in your garden. The dark brown spikelets will...

20 / 04 / 2015 | Phumza Bavuma | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Eriosema kraussianum

Eriosema kraussianum
Common names: pale yellow eriosema (Eng.)
Family: Fabaceae

Eriosema kraussianum is an erect, fairly small, tufted, perennial herb, with its stems covered in silvery silky hairs and with pale yellow flowers. It...

13 / 04 / 2015 | Stemmer Ngalo | Free State NBG
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Cephalophyllum parviflorum

Cephalophyllum parviflorum in flower
Common names: Tygerberg trailing-vygie (Eng.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Cephalophyllum parviflorum is one of the lesser-known species in the vygie family; it is predominantly a dwarf, trailing, succulent ground cover, hence...

13 / 04 / 2015 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Barleria monticola

Barleria monticola in flower
Common names: mountain barleria (Eng.); berg barleria (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

This is a lovely groundcover for a sunny spot in your garden, especially if you live in a frosty area....

06 / 04 / 2015 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG
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Pavonia praemorsa

Flowers
Common names: yellow mallow
Family: Malvaceae

Year-round, pretty lemon-yellow hibiscus-like flowers, that each only last for a day, on a low, maintenance hardy, indigenous shrub, with lots of potential...

06 / 04 / 2015 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Vernonia natalensis

Family: Asteraceae

This plant is now called Hilliardiella aristata...

01 / 04 / 2015 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria barbae

Gasteria barbae growing in crevice
Common names: Hakerville gasteria
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria barbae is an exciting, new discovery confined to the coastal cliffs near Hakerville in the Knysna District. It has small rosettes of leaves covered...

31 / 03 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Bulbinella eburniflora

Flowers of Bulbinella eburniflora
Common names: bleekkatstert (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbinella eburniflora is a vulnerable species from the Bokkeveld Plateau, threatened with habitat loss due to ploughing and livestock grazing....

30 / 03 / 2015 | Eugene Marinus | Hantam NBG
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Metalasia aurea

Metalasia aurea flowers. Photo Adriaan Grobler
Common names: golden metalasia, yellow metalasia (Eng.); geelsteekbossie, geelblombos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Metalasia aurea has the most unusual flower colour for Metalasia, and may be seen when travelling along the N2 freeway from Humansdorp to Port Elizabeth....

23 / 03 / 2015 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Barleria bremekampii

Flowers of barleria bremekampii
Common names: hedgehog barleria (Eng.)
Family: Acanthaceae

If you are looking for a water-wise prickly  hedge or barrier plant, Barleria bremkampii is your answer....

23 / 03 / 2015 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG
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Hessea mathewsii

Flowering in  habitat
Common names: hessea
Family: Amaryllidaceae

The ethereal umbrella of star-shaped flowers fluttering in the wind, is the ‘stuff fairytales are made of’! Although, quite small, Hessea mathewsii,...

16 / 03 / 2015 | Brittany Arendse | CREW
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