Plants of the Week

Struthiola tomentosa

Common names: woolly capespray, woolly featherhead (Eng.); veertjie, juffertjie-roer-by-die-nag, roemenaggie (Afr.)

Family: Thymelaeaceae

A slender, tomentose shrublet, with yellow to pale orange flowers in winter, spring and early summer, and yellow, stiff hairs surrounding the petaloid...

25 / 10 / 2021 | Thuli Makhoba | National Herbarium Pretoria

Strychnos cocculoides

Common names: corky-bark monkey-orange (Eng.); kurkbasklapper (Afr.); morapa (North Sotho); omusu (otjiHerero); liguni, maguni (Ovambo) Tree No: Zimbabwe 881

Family: Loganiaceae

Strychnos cocculoides is a monkey-orange with distinctive corky bark, leaves without sharp tips and large, green, cannonball-like fruits, and is found...

31 / 08 / 2009 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Strychnos decussata

Common names: Cape teak (Eng.); Kaapse kiaat (Afr.); umhlamahlala, umkhangele (Xhosa); umkhombazulu, umlahlankosi, umphatha-wenkosi (Zulu)

Family: Loganiaceae

Strychnos decussata is a handsome tree for the garden with an attractive shape....

01 / 12 / 2008 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Strychnos madagascariensis

Common names: black monkey orange (Eng.); swartklapper, botterklapper (Afr.); Morapa (N Sotho); Nkwaka (Tsonga); Mogorwagorwana (Tswana); Mukwakwa (Venda); umGluguz

Family: Loganiaceae

Very often confused with Strychnos spinosa, S. madagascariensis is a single- or multi-stemmed tree with a spreading, irregular, angular canopy. It grows...

08 / 12 / 2008 | Marcini Govender | National Herbarium Pretoria

Strychnos spinosa

Common names: spiny monkey orange/green monkey orange (Eng) doringklapper (Afr) morapa (NS) umKwakwa (Sw) nsala (Ts) muramba (V)

Family: Loganiaceae

This small to medium sized tree with its dark green glossy leaves and bright yellow fruit will make an attractive addition to your garden....

24 / 01 / 2005 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG

Sutherlandia frutescens

This plant is now called Lessertia frutescens....

08 / 12 / 2003 | | Lowveld NBG

Synaptolepis oliveriana

Common names: chalk-stick root (Eng); uvuma omhlophe (isiZulu)

Family: Thymelaeaceae

Synaptolepis oliveriana is a much-branched, scrambling shrub, with spear-shaped leaves and sweetly scented, creamy yellow flowers in summer; the plant...

13 / 09 / 2021 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG

Syncarpha argyropsis

Common names: white everlasting (Eng.); witsewejaartjie, beesoogsewejaartjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Syncarpha argyropsis is a very attractive plant that grows well at Kirstenbosch and is a very promising horticultural plant for commercial use....

19 / 10 / 2009 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Syncarpha eximia

Common names: strawberry everlasting (Eng.); rooisewejaartjie, sewejaartjie, strooiblommetjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

This beautiful plant has prominent, showy, red and orange flower heads that in bud are reminiscent of a bowl of strawberries, borne above erect stems covered...

11 / 02 / 2008 | Waafeka Vardien | Compton Herbarium

Syncarpha ferruginea

Common names: rusty everlasting (Eng.); verroes-sewejaartjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Syncarpha ferruginea is a small fynbos shrub with felted grey leaves and attractive yellow-brown, everlasting flower heads in spring and summer....

20 / 01 / 2020 | Zaynab Shaik | Compton Herbarium

Syncarpha recurvata

Fresh everlasting flowerhead. Image G.A. Verboom

Common names: None recorded.

Family: Asteraceae

Syncarpha recurvata is a small, shrubby daisy with pretty pink flowerheads and attractive silvery foliage. This low shrub is endemic to a small area...

18 / 02 / 2013 | Nicola Bergh | Compton Herbarium

Syncarpha vestita

Common names: cape snow, white everlasting (Eng.); witsewejaartjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

At the height of its flowering, this relatively short-lived, woolly shrublet forms masses of beautiful white flowerheads that shine in the bright light...

21 / 10 / 2013 | D Snijman | Compton Herbarium

Syncolostemon canescens

Common names: coconut-scented sagebush, grey-haired sagebush

Family: Lamiaceae

A small, aromatic perennial, with dainty, purplish pink, summer flowers and leaves that have a strong and unusual fruity, coconutty scent; a ‘must-have’...

13 / 03 / 2017 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Syncolostemon incanus

Common names: Kaapsehoop sagebush (Eng.); Kaapsehoopsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Syncolostemon incanus is a medium sized, aromatic, sage family shrub that adds a splash of permanent colour in the landscape, all year through, with its...

14 / 02 / 2022 | Fergy Nkadimeng | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Syncolostemon latidens

Common names: broad-tooth sagebush, broad-toothed pink plume

Family: Lamiaceae

The subtle beauty of the little known mauve-pink plume bush, Syncolostemon latidens, has won the hearts of those who have seen this small perennial shrub...

10 / 01 / 2005 | S Khanyile | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Syncolostemon macranthus

Common names: long-flowered sagebush, long-flowered pink plume

Family: Lamiaceae

An attractive, shrubby perennial, with bright pink to mauve flowers, in summer....

20 / 02 / 2017 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Syncolostemon obermeyerae

Common names: Soutpansberg sagebush, pink sagebush (Eng.); Soutpansbergsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Syncolostemon obermeyerae is a fast growing, much branched shrub which can grow to 1,8m tall....

30 / 04 / 2001 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG

Syncolostemon rotundifolius

Common names: rounded-leaf sagebush, round-leaved pink plume

Family: Lamiaceae

Even if a little difficult in cultivation, this little known member of the sage family, once established, will enhance the garden with its masses of pretty...

31 / 10 / 2005 | Karen Moodley | KwaZulu-Natal NBG