Plants of the Week

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E.g., 28/11/2024
E.g., 28/11/2024

Ledebouria viscosa

Ledebouria viscosa (Connal Oosterbroek)
Common names: sticky-leaf African hyacinth
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This curious and enigmatic species of Ledebouria is highly unusual in the genus because of its viscous leaves which become sticky when wet, causing sand...

20 / 08 / 2018 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Ledebouria woodii

A cluster of Ledebouria woodii plants in habitat
Common names: Wood’s African hyacinth (Eng.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Bulbous plant with usually unspotted leaves and green to pale green, whitish, strongly hyacinth-scented flowers, in spring and summer....

07 / 11 / 2022 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Ledebouria zebrina

Ledebouria zebrina
Common names: giant false scilla; giant African hyacinth
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This large attractive bulbous plant is the largest of all the ledebourias, the handsome broad leaves which are often marked with dark purple-brown...

25 / 11 / 2013 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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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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Leonotis ocymifolia

Leonotis ocymifolia
Common names: rock lion's paw, minaret flower (Eng.); klipdagga, wildedagga (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

Leonotis ocymifolia, the lesser known relative to the well-known Leonotis leonurus, is in many ways as worthy of recognition, not only for its usefulness,...

14 / 12 / 2020 | Karen Wall | Harold Porter NBG
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Lessertia

Lessertia - pressed herbarium specimen
Family: Fabaceae

This group of plants, which now includes Sutherlandia (the cancer bush group), is reported to be useful medicinally and also good for pasture....

04 / 10 / 2004 | Tandiwe Nkonki | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Lessertia frutescens

Lessertia frutescens
Common names: sutherlandia, cancer bush, balloon pea (Eng.); umnwele(Xhosa & Zulu); kankerbos, blaasbossie, blaas-ertjie, eendjies, gansiekeurtjie, klappers, ho
Family: Fabaceae

Lessertia frutescens  is a much-respected and long-used medicinal plant that is also an attractive garden plant, and has been cultivated in gardens...

07 / 04 / 2003 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucadendron album

Leucadendron album female cone
Common names: linear-leaf conebush (Eng.); aarbeisilwertolbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

An unusual conebush, with its velvety silver foliage, Leucadendron album is a striking mountain fynbos shrub....

17 / 11 / 2008 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucadendron argenteum

Leucadendron argenteum growing wild on the Kirstenbosch Estate.
Common names: silver tree (Eng.), witteboom, silwerboom (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

The sight of these giant silver proteas against the mountain must be one of nature's finest and is one to treasure. These beautiful trees, with their...

02 / 10 / 2000 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucadendron chamelaea

Leucadendron chamelaea, female.
Common names: Witsenberg conebush
Family: Proteaceae

Leucadendron chamelaea is one of the iconic species of the Upper Breede River Valley. This species once occurred commonly in this area, but through the...

22 / 02 / 2016 | Ismail Ebrahim | CREW
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Leucadendron discolor

Flower head of male plant
Common names: Piketberg conebush, gold flame tips, red conebush (Eng.); rooi-tolbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

For most of the year Leucadendron discolor is a grey-green filler, best planted towards the back of the shrubbery. During spring it comes alive with colour...

24 / 09 / 2012 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucadendron elimense subsp. elimense

female plant in flower
Common names: Elim conebush
Family: Proteaceae

Leucadendron elimense subsp. elimense is an attractive species not be overlooked when driving along the gravel roads between Elim and Bredasdorp....

16 / 06 / 2008 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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Leucadendron eucalyptifolium

Male and female flower heads
Common names: gum-leaf conebush, tall conebush (English), grootgeelbos, geelbos (Afrikaans)
Family: Proteaceae

Leucadendron eucalyptifolium is a decorative, fast-growing fynbos shrub that turns bright yellow in winter-spring....

01 / 09 / 2014 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucadendron floridum

Bush with female flowers
Common names: Flats conebush, silky euryspermum, sunny; tolbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

As its name implies, the Flats conebush is suited to wetland areas or damp positions in the garden. Plant this shrub in groups to add seasonal colour and...

23 / 09 / 2013 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucadendron laureolum

Leucadendron laureolum growing in habitat at Silvermine
Common names: golden conebush, golden sunshine-conebush, laurel-leaf conebush (Eng.); louriergeelbos, louriertolbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

In midwinter, golden conebushes turn many Cape mountainsides bright yellow. These large fynbos shrubs thrive in a wide range of soils, and bring winter...

07 / 05 / 2012 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucadendron laxum

Leucadendron laxum
Common names: Bredasdorp conebush (Eng.); vleirosie (Afr.).
Family: Proteaceae

...

01 / 10 / 2001 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucadendron levisanus

Leucadendron levisanus male in flower
Common names: Cape Flats conebush, spatula-leaf protea (Eng.); sandknoppiesbos (Afr.) Status: Endangered
Family: Proteaceae

This endangered member of the protea family was once common on the Cape Flats, but has been reduced by urban development to a few populations along road...

25 / 08 / 2003 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucadendron linifolium

Leucadendron linifolium
Common names: line-leaf conebush (Eng.), duineknoppiesbos, knoppiesbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Leucadendron linifolium is a neat, evergreen shrub, water-wise in the winter-rainfall region and ideal for gardens on the sandy flats. It is used...

25 / 10 / 2010 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucadendron loeriense

Leucadendron loeriense female cones in flower
Common names: loerie conebush (Eng.); loerietolbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Leucadendron loeriense is one of the few members of the protea family that flower in mid-summer, producing its lovely star-shaped flowerheads and...

29 / 12 / 2008 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucadendron macowanii

Leucadendron macowanii, male flowerheads.
Common names: acacia-leaf conebush, wattle-leaf conebush
Family: Proteaceae

This is a fast-growing shrub with narrow, dark green leaves, bright yellow flower heads in profusion on the male plants in winter, and dark red cones on...

16 / 09 / 2002 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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