Plants of the Week

Codonorhiza corymbosa

Common names: blue cabong (Eng.); bloucabong, koringblom, koringblommetjie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

A cheerful bulbous plant with striking blue to purple blooms that does wonderfully when planted in containers on a sunny patio and helps attract an interesting...

07 / 01 / 2013 | Sarah-Leigh Hutchinson | Kirstenbosch NBG

Codon royenii

Common names: honey bush (Eng.); heuningbos, suikerkelk (Afr.)

Family: Boraginaceae

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20 / 02 / 2006 | Elizabeth Retief | National Herbarium Pretoria

Coddia rudis

Common names: small bone apple (Eng.); kleinbeenappel (Afr.); umDondwane (Zulu); siKhwakhwane (Siswati); tshinapanapana (Venda)

Family: Rubiaceae

Coddia rudis is usually a short, aromatic, evergreen, dense, multi-stemmed and fairly fast growing shrub....

31 / 12 / 2011 | K w Sepheka | National Herbarium Pretoria

Coccinia rehmannii

Common names: wild cucumber (Eng.); wilde komkommer (Afr.); kgaba, kubjana, mogakangwaga, oro, otjinaga, mmadigônyane (Tsw.); uselwa-lwenyoka (Zul.)

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Coccinia rehmannii is a perennial creeper or climber arising from a large tuberous rootstock, with conspicuous, many-seeded, globose fruits....

16 / 03 / 2020 | Khululwa Mfondini | National Herbarium Pretoria

Clutia pulchella

Common names: common lightning bush, lightning bush, warty-fruited lightning bush (Eng); gewone bliksembos, oumeisieknie, weerligbos, vratjievrug-bliksembos (Afr);

Family: Peraceae

Clutia pulchella is easily distinguishable by its striking 'ladder-like', alternating arrangement of leaves, often with red leaves among the green....

22 / 04 / 2024 | Lungelo L. Sikhakhane | Free State NBG

Clivia robusta

Common names: swamp bush lily, swamp clivia

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Clivia robusta is probably one of the tallest members of the genus as it can grow to a height of 1.6 m in ideal conditions. It is a strong grower and...

02 / 07 / 2007 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clivia nobilis

Common names: Eastern Cape clivia, Eastern Cape bush lily (Eng.); boslelie (Afr.); umayime (isiXhosa & isiZulu)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Clivia nobilis was the first species of Clivia to be described in 1828. It was a popular plant in England until the more spectacular Clivia miniata appeared...

02 / 01 / 2006 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clivia mirabilis

Common names: miracle clivia

Family: Amaryllidaceae

The discovery in the Nieuwoudtville area of the Northern Cape of a most unusual new Clivia species, Clivia mirabilis, caused much excitement in the botanical...

20 / 05 / 2002 | Nicky Malcolm | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clivia miniata var. citrina

Common names: yellow clivia, yellow bush lily (Eng.); geelboslelie (Afr.)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Clivia miniata var. citrina is a horticulturally outstanding spring-flowering perennial, with a colourful history in cultivation. Grown worldwide for its...

02 / 10 / 2017 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clivia miniata

Common names: bush lily (Eng.); boslelie (Afr.); umayime (Zulu)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

A striking plant, an international star, with its dark green leaves and trumpet-shaped orange flowers, Clivia miniata is the ideal plant for the...

20 / 08 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Clivia gardenii

Common names: Major Garden's clivia, Natal drooping clivia (English); boslelie (Afrikaans); umayime (Zulu)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Clivia gardenii is a subtle and delicately pretty sister to the well known Clivia miniata (Bush Lily), which has been in cultivation for many...

30 / 04 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Clivia caulescens

Common names: stem clivia, stalked clivia

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Clivia caulescens is a strong grower, with stems up to 2 m long. It flowers in midsummer and will attract birds to the garden....

27 / 12 / 2004 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clitoria ternatea var. ternatea

Common names: butterfly pea, blue pea, kordofan pea, cordofan pea, asian pigeon-wings

Family: Fabaceae

A very attractive species because of its hanging blue flowers, which makes it loved by horticulturists and landscapers. The standard petal with yellow...

23 / 05 / 2016 | Tandiwe Nkonki | National Herbarium Pretoria

Cliffortia odorata

Common names: wild vine (Eng.); wildewingerd, wildevyerank (Afr.)

Family: Rosaceae

A hardy evergreen groundcover, with attractive, oval, green leaves, spreading vigorously in full sun or part shade....

29 / 04 / 2019 | Thembakazi Dyariwe | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cliffortia ferruginea

Common names: glossy cliffortia (Eng.); glastee, pypsteelbos, teringtee (Afr.)

Family: Rosaceae

A hardy, attractive ground cover with glossy green foliage that is so very versatile it can find a place to please in any everyone's garden....

12 / 09 / 2005 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clerodendron glabrum

Common names: tinderwood (Eng.); moswaapeba (Sotho); tontelhout (Afr.); munukha-tshilongwe (Venda); umqwaqwanam (Xhosa); umQoqonga (Zulu); xinhunwelambeva (Tswana);

Family: Lamiaceae

This is a small tree with smelly leaves and scented flowers in summer. It has many traditional uses....

27 / 08 / 2012 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Walter Sisulu NBG

Cleretum bellidiforme

Common names: Buckbay-vygie, Livingstone Bokbayfig, Livingstone Daisy (Eng.); bokbaaivygie, sandvygie, skilpadkos, ysplant (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Cleretum bellidiforme, previously Dorotheanthus bellidiformis, is one of South Africa’s most famous wildflower exports, grown worldwide for its dazzling,...

23 / 10 / 2017 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cleome gynandra

Common names: African cabbage, spider-wisp (Eng.); murudi (Venda); snotterbelletjie (Afr.); morotho (Northern Sotho)

Family: Capparaceae

African cabbage is of economic importance as it is among the herbs that are used as indigenous vegetables in rural areas of southern Africa. Analyses have...

03 / 10 / 2011 | Cathbert Makgakga | Kirstenbosch NBG