Plants of the Week

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Erica retorta

Erica retorta
Common names: hair-leaf bottle heath, bottle heath (Eng.), bottelheide, flessieheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica retorta is one of the sticky-flowered ericas that grows on the dry mountain slopes above the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden, in Betty’s...

01 / 08 / 2022 | Loretta Floors | Harold Porter NBG
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Erica regia subsp . regia

Erica regia: copyright Plantweb
Common names: Elim heath, bell heath, royal heath (Eng.); belletjieheide, elimsheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica regia is a very popular garden plant in South Africa and features in many of the older gardening books. It is quite easy to grow and has very...

19 / 05 / 2008 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica recurvata

Image Ross Turner
Common names: Soetmuisberg heath, drooping round-headed heath (Eng.); soetmuisbergheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica recurvata is a critically endangered species that was previously known only from a botanical painting published by Henry Charles Andrews between...

03 / 02 / 2014 | Victoria Wilman | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Erica quadrisulcata

Erica quadrisulcata
Common names: orange rock-heath, Swartkop heath, four-groove heath
Family: Ericaceae

A lovely fynbos shrub with bright golden-orange, curved, tubular flowers in showy heads at the tips of branches in mid-summer —  ideal for a...

20 / 01 / 2014 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica quadrangularis

White form in flower
Common names: baby heath, square heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica quadrangularis is an easy-to-grow, graceful shrub, which turns white or pink during late winter, spring to early summer.when it gets covered in...

18 / 02 / 2013 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica psittacina

Erica psittacina flowers
Common names: Hlabeni heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica psittacina, discovered by chance in 2002 during an orchid field trip, is the most restricted Erica species in KwaZulu-Natal province....

10 / 05 / 2010 | Suvarna Parbhoo | CREW
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Erica plukenetii

Erica plukenetii shrub
Common names: Plukenet's heath (Eng.); hangertjie (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica plukenetii is a common species that is found on mountain slopes throughout most of the Cape Floristic Region....

29 / 12 / 2008 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica peziza

Erica peziza (Andrewm iSpot)
Common names: woollysnow heath, velvet bell heath, white heath (Eng.); kapokkie (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

A beautiful fynbos shrub that turns snowy white when it flowers in spring....

28 / 12 / 2015 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica perspicua

Erica perspicua
Common names: Prince of Wales heath (Eng.); veerheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

The Kogelberg Biosphere is well known for its plant diversity, with ericas being plentiful, amongst them  Erica perspicua,  one of the most well...

28 / 07 / 2003 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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Erica patersonii

Erica patersonia
Common names: mielie heath (Eng.); mielieheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

This is one of a number of erica species that are threatened by urban expansion and farming practices....

16 / 06 / 2003 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica oblongiflora

Erica oblongiflora
Common names: Agulhas green heath, sticky green heath (Eng.) groentaaiheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica oblongiflora gives a beautiful show of greenish-yellow flowers for an extended period from late summer into winter, which makes it ideal for companion...

22 / 07 / 2024 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica nevillei

Erica nevillei flowers showing anthers foliage
Common names: red rock-heath (Eng.); klouterplant (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

The tubular, bright red flowers of Erica nevillei are breathtaking and the low-growing, sprawling habit of this Cape Peninsula endemic will fascinate...

29 / 11 / 2010 | Julia Dabush | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica nana

Common names: dwarf heath
Family: Ericaceae

As winter begins to loosen its grip in the Cape, spring is heralded by a magnificent profusion of sunshine yellow as Erica nana comes into flower....

17 / 05 / 2010 | Julia Dabush | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica nabea

Erica nabea
Common names: sepal heath, MacNab’s heath (Eng.)
Family: Ericaceae

This medium sized shrub produces spikes of unusual, greenish flowers from late autumn until the end of winter....

06 / 12 / 2021 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica margaritacea

Erica margaritacea flowers
Common names: pearl heath (Eng.); heuningheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

The delicate white flowers covering the bush of Erica margaritacea resemble tiny pearls. It only occurs at one locality in the wild, but is a very rewarding...

18 / 05 / 2009 | C Cowell | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica mammosa

Eerica mammosa pink-white, Malmesbury
Common names: nine-pin heath (Eng.); rooiklossieheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica mammosa is one of the few Erica species that has a spectacular range of flower colours, from white to pink, purple, orange and red....

12 / 01 / 2009 | Etienne Arendse | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica lutea

Erica lutea
Common names: yellow-rice heath, rice heath (Eng.); geelrysheide, rysheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

A small fynbos shrublet which has masses of shiny white to yellow flowers in late summer and autumn....

02 / 07 / 2018 | Sinikeziwe Ncaphayi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica lowryensis

Erica lowryensis
Common names: Sir Lowry's Pass heath
Family: Ericaceae

Like so many jewels of the fynbos, one has to be prepared to walk and climb to view this pretty erica which grows on the mountain ranges of the Kogelberg...

07 / 08 / 2006 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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Erica leucotrachela

Flowers
Common names: white-tip heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica leucotrachela is one of many Erica species that grow high up on the mountain peaks of the Kogelberg Mountains....

12 / 09 / 2005 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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Erica lateralis

Erica lateralis
Common names: button heath (Eng.); knopiesheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

This sturdy evergreen shrub boasts with masses of rosy to pink flowers from late summer until early winter, around February to June. It is ideal for mass...

13 / 09 / 2021 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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