Plants of the Week

Caputia pyramidata

Common names: tall caputia (Eng.); groot-tontelbos (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Caputia pyramidata is a drought-tolerant succulent-leaved shrub, endemic to the Albany Thicket vegetation in the Eastern Cape. It has showy, ascending...

14 / 07 / 2014 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Caputia scaposa

Common names: small caputia (Eng.); kleintontelbos (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

This is a short, drought tolerant, succulent shrublet, belonging to the daisy family (Asteraceae), with showy, spreading leaves in a central rosette and...

15 / 09 / 2014 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Caputia tomentosa

Common names: woolly caputia, tinderbush (Eng.); tontelbossie, tontelbos, tonteldoos (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

A very striking shrublet with beautiful silvery white, cylindrical succulent leaves and yellow discoid-daisy flowerheads in late summer and autumn. It...

13 / 04 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Carissa bispinosa

Common names: forest num-num (Eng.); bosnoemnoem (Afr.); isibethankunzi, isabetha (Zul.)

Family: Apocynaceae

The genus Carissa consists of evergreen shrubs and trees, with handsome, glossy foliage and fragrant, starry-white, jasmine-like flowers. Ornamental and...

15 / 03 / 2004 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Carissa edulis

Common names: simple-spined num-num, climbing num-num, small num-num, (Eng.); enkeldoringnoemnoem, ranknoemnoem, kleinnoemnoem (Afr.); mothokolo (North Sotho); mur

Family: Apocynaceae

A fast-growing, thorny, scrambling shrub with glossy foliage, masses of fragrant white flowers in spring and small, oval red edible fruits in summer....

25 / 06 / 2012 | R Malatjie | Walter Sisulu NBG

Carissa macrocarpa

Common names: Natal plum, big num-num (Eng.); grootnoem-noem (Afr.); Amatungulu (Zulu)

Family: Apocynaceae

The Natal plum is a common and often conspicuous species in coastal bush and sand dunes....

29 / 03 / 2004 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG

Carissa sebrabergensis

Common names: Sebraberg numnum (Eng.); Sebraberg-noemnoem (Afr.)

Family: Apocynaceae

The Sebraberg numnum is a rare shrub from the Sebraberg in northern Kaokoveld, Namibia. It is a diminutive, layered evergreen, spiny shrub, with small...

02 / 01 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Carpanthea pomeridiana

Common names: carpanthea (Eng.); vetkousie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Carpanthea pomeridiana is an easily propagated, fast-growing annual, endemic to the sandy coastal regions of the Western Cape. It has golden-yellow flowers...

13 / 05 / 2019 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Carpobrotus deliciosus

Common names: delicious sour fig, sweet sour fig (Eng.); suurvy, perdevy, gaukum (Afr.); igcuthuma (Xho.)

Family: Aizoaceae

A flat-growing, rapidly spreading, evergreen, succulent-leaved perennial with large, purple-pink flowers in spring and edible fruits, Carpobrotus deliciosus...

21 / 03 / 2022 | Anam Cimi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Carpobrotus dimidiatus

Common names: Natal sour fig (Eng.), Natalse suurvy/strandvy (Afr.), Ikhambi lamabulawo (Zulu)

Family: Aizoaceae

...

11 / 06 / 2007 | Siyabulela Nonjinge | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Carpobrotus edulis

Common names: sour fig, Cape fig, Hottentots fig (Eng.); ghaukum, ghoenavy, Hottentotsvy, Kaapsevy, perdevy, rankvy, suurvy, vyerank, (Afr.); ikhambi-lamabulawo, um

Family: Aizoaceae

Carpobrotus edulis is an easy-to-grow succulent groundcover, ideal for low-maintenance and water-wise gardens. It is also a useful first-aid plant...

23 / 01 / 2006 | Christien Malan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Carpobrotus mellei

Common names: mountain sourfig (Eng.), bergsuurvy (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

The mountain sourfig is a mat-forming leaf succulent from the mountains in the Western Cape. The leaves are ascending and slightly glaucous, the flowers...

03 / 06 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Carpobrotus muirii

Common names: Albertinia sour fig, dwarf sour fig (Eng.), Albertinia-suurvy, kleinsuurvy (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

The Albertinia sour fig is a mat-forming leaf succulent from sandy regions near Albertinia in the Western Cape. It is the smallest of the species of Carpobrotus...

29 / 04 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Carpobrotus quadrifidus

Common names: West Coast sour fig, eland sour fig (Eng.); Weskus suurvy, elandsvy (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Carpobrotus quadrifidus, formerly named C. sauerae, stands out in the varied conglomeration of mesembs as the one species with the largest flowers....

17 / 02 / 2014 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG

Carruanthus peersii

Common names: Toorwaterpoort mesemb (Eng.); Toorwatervygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Carruanthus peersii is only known from the cliffs of Toorwaterpoort. It is a small, cliff-hugging, branched shrublet becoming a hanger with age, with pale...

28 / 08 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cassia abbreviata subsp. beareana

Common names: long-tail cassia, sjambok pod, wild senna (Eng.); sjambokpeul, peulboom, peulbos, boontjieboom (Afr.), molepelepe, monêpênêpê (Tw), muboma, mulamb

Family: Fabaceae

The long-tail cassia is ideal for small to medium-sized gardens where it will attract attention with both its beautiful deep yellow, sweetly scented flowers...

03 / 03 / 2008 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG

Cassine peragua

Common names: Cape saffron, bastard saffron, false saffron, bastard saffronwood (Eng.); bastersaffraan, lepelhout (Afr.); iKhukhuzi (Xhosa); umKhukhuze, umBofanyamo

Family: Celastraceae

Cassine peragua is a medium-sized tree suitable for suburban gardens, with fragrant flowers and decorative, bird-attracting fruits, but its most attractive...

20 / 06 / 2005 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cassinopsis ilicifolia

Common names: Lemon Thorn (English), Lemoentjiedoring (Afrikaans), iMamba eluhlaza (Zulu), iCegceya (Xhosa)

Family: Icacinaceae

15 / 04 / 2002 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Catha edulis

Common names: Bushman's tea (Eng.); Boesmanstee (Afr.); umhlwazi (Zulu); iqgwaka (Xhosa); khat (Arabic)

Family: Celastraceae

This is a very attractive, small deciduous tree, with bright green leaves that turn to a pleasing yellowish colour in autumn. Its beauty is also complemented...

17 / 02 / 2003 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG

Celtis africana

Common names: white stinkwood; witstinkhout (Afr.); umVumvu (Xhosa); uSinga lwesalukazi (Zulu); Modutu (Sotho & Tswane); Mpopano (Venda)

Family: Cannabaceae

There is no doubt that this is an excellent tree to use in a landscape, and it is a rewarding garden tree. It gives shade in summer, and is fast and easy...

03 / 02 / 2003 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

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