Plants of the Week

Ficus polita subsp. polita

Common names: heart-leaved fig, wild rubber fig, wild rubber tree (Eng.); hartblaarvy, wilderubbervy, rubberplant (Afr.); umkhiwane (siSwati.); umkhiwane, umphumel

Family: Moraceae

Next time you attend one of Kirstenbosch’s summer sunset concerts, see if you can spot the Afrotropical Ficus polita subsp. polita, growing on the...

21 / 12 / 2015 | Hannelie Snyman | Compton Herbarium

Ficus muelleriana

Common names: wandering rock-fig, Chimanimani rock-fig, Mueller’s climbing fig (Eng.); chimanimanirotsvy (Afr.)

Family: Moraceae

Ficus muelleriana represents a fairly recent discovery. It is a rare, cliff-dwelling, scandent shrub, with beautiful heart-shaped leaves, reddish leaf...

04 / 12 / 2017 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus lutea

Common names: giant-leaved fig (Eng.); reuseblaarvy (Afr.); umvubu, omkhulu (Zulu); umthombe, uluzi (Xhosa)

Family: Moraceae

The giant-leaved fig is a magnificent member of the renowned fig family. Like so many of its close relatives, it offers much of ecological and ornamental...

15 / 03 / 2004 | Jan-Hakon Burring | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus ingens

Common names: red-leaved rock fig (Eng.); rooiblaarvy (Afr.); mohlatsa (North Sotho); motlhatsa (Tswana); tshikululu (Venda); umthombe (Xhosa); umgonswane (Zulu)

Family: Moraceae

The red-leaved fig is a semi-deciduous, shady tree or rock-splitter, and a beautiful specimen for a large rock garden, but because of its aggressive root-...

28 / 11 / 2005 | Marie Jordaan | National Herbarium Pretoria

Ficus ilicina

Common names: laurel fig, natarra fig (Eng.); louriervy, natarravy (Afr.); natarra (Nama)

Family: Moraceae

The laurel fig is an evergreen, rock-hugging fig from the summer-dry Namaqualand region and further north into Namibia and southern Angola, where rainfall...

03 / 12 / 2018 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus glumosa

Common names: hairy rock fig, mountain rock fig (Eng.); harige rotsvy, berg-rotsvy (Afr.); umthombe (Xhosa); inkokhokho, umdenda omnyama, umnyaxa (Zulu); inkiwane (

Family: Moraceae

An ideal tree for planting in water scarce areas; it will provide browsing and food to a number of animals, as well as a habitat for a large range of bird...

07 / 11 / 2016 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus craterostoma

Common names: forest fig, forest strangler-fig, blunt-leaved forest fig, bastard Natal fig (Eng.); bosvy, wurgvy, stomblaarbosvy, bostouboom, basternatalvy (Afr.);

Family: Moraceae

A wild fig from the well-watered forests of southeastern and tropical Africa, with glossy, dark green foliage and a grey trunk that is sculpted and shaped...

11 / 09 / 2017 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ficus cordata

Common names: Namaqua rock fig, Namaqua fig (Eng.); namakwarotsvy, namakwavy, melkboom (Afr.)

Family: Moraceae

The Namaqua rock fig represents the largest and tallest indigenous tree from Namaqualand. It is an ascending, rock-splitting tree confined to rock outcrops,...

12 / 11 / 2018 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

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

Ficus abutilifolia

Common names: large-leaved rock fig, rock wild fig (Eng.); grootblaarrotsvy, klipvy (Afr.); inkokhokho, impayi, ubambematsheni (Zulu); momelantsweng (Tswana); tshik

Family: Moraceae

The conspicuous white to yellow roots and stems of the large-leaved rock fig are an impressive sight, well adapted to hugging rock faces and splitting...

18 / 12 / 2006 | Jan-Hakon Burring | Pretoria NBG

Ficinia

Common names: sedges (Eng.); biesies (Afr.); Ficinia radiata : star grass (Eng.) stergras (Afr.)

Family: Cyperaceae

The genus Ficinia of the tribe Scirpeae is remarkable in that almost all of the ± 60 species are endemic to the Cape Floristic Region. Species range...

21 / 05 / 2007 | Caitlin Von Witt | CREW

Felicia tenella subsp. tenella

Common names: bristly felicia (Eng.); astertjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

This striking, winter- or spring-flowering annual with bright blue and yellow daisies, is another of South Africa’s plant jewels. It performs well...

19 / 12 / 2022 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG

Felicia petiolata

Common names: Lesotho felicia, creeping blue marguerite (Eng.); khotolia-ea-thaba, morarana (Sesotho)

Family: Asteraceae

An attractive evergreen, low-growing felicia with yellow-centred, rose pink daisy-like flowers in summer, and dentate leaves on long stems....

16 / 09 / 2024 | Unarine Honest Ndou | Walter Sisulu NBG

Felicia josephinae

Family: Asteraceae

This charming, low-growing annual has only recently been named and described (Bothalia October 2002), although it was first collected in 1933 by C Louis...

02 / 09 / 2002 | John Manning | Compton Herbarium

Felicia heterophylla

Common names: true-blue daisy (Eng.); bloublomastertjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

The true blue daisy is one of the few felicias with entirely blue daisy flowers, in contrast to the others with yellow centres surrounded by blue/purple...

26 / 01 / 2004 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria

Felicia filifolia subsp. filifolia

Common names: fine-leaved felicia, needle-leaved felicia, wild aster (Eng.); draaibos (Afr.); sehalahala-seseholo (Southern Sotho)

Family: Asteraceae

When in flower Felicia filifolia is an eye-catching mass of mauve flowers with pretty yellow centres that will create a stunning splash of colour in your...

22 / 11 / 2004 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Felicia erigeroides

Common names: wild aster, wild Michaelmas daisy (Eng.); wilde-aster (Afr.); isithelelo, ixhaphozi (Zulu)

Family: Asteraceae

Felicia erigeroides has pretty, daisy-like flowers with yellow centres. The flowers cover the entire bush and bring colour to the garden. It is a good...

06 / 07 / 2009 | Norma Lucas | Kirstenbosch NBG

Felicia elongata

Common names: Saldanha felicia, tricolour felicia (Eng.), driekleurblommetjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Felicia elongata is a striking perennial daisy, with large white or mauve flowers. What makes this Felicia so different from the other felicias, is the...

10 / 09 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Felicia echinata

Common names: dune daisy, prickly felicia (Eng.), bloublommetjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Felicia echinata is easy to recognize by its glossy leaves that are edged with small white teeth and curved to form a sharp tip. This prickly protection...

06 / 08 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Felicia dubia

Common names: dwarf felicia (Eng.); saambreeltjies (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

The blue and yellow dwarf felicia is one of the many annuals turning Namaqualand into such a kaleidoscope of colours during winter and spring....

15 / 10 / 2012 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG

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