Plants of the Week

Searsia incisa

Common names: rub-rub currant (Eng.); baardbessie (Afr.); unongqutu (isiXhosa)

Family: Anacardiaceae

Rub-rub currant is an attractive shrub, and, as the common name says, it has edible, furry fruits, that need to be rubbed in the hand a couple of times...

22 / 02 / 2021 | Sibahle Gumede | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Searsia glauca

Common names: blue kunibush (Engl.); bloukoeniebos (Afr.)

Family: Anacardiaceae

Searsia glauca is a sprawling, wind resistant shrub or small tree, that is perfect in harsh coastal conditions, with berries that attract pollinators and...

12 / 10 / 2015 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Searsia gerrardii

Common names: river karee, river currant (Eng.), riviertaaibos (Afr.), inhlokoshiyane, umhlakaza (isiZulu)

Family: Anacardiaceae

Searsia gerrardii is a shrub-like tree with a graceful, weeping habit, striking reddish bark and noticeable orange lenticels (raised pores) on the branchlets....

18 / 11 / 2024 | Luyanda Bhengu | Free State NBG

Searsia erosa

Common names: Broom karee, Besembos

Family: Anacardiaceae

The Free State is a haven for many different plant species, one of the most interesting in the family Anacardiaceae being Searsia erosa and it grows well...

28 / 10 / 2002 | Peter Gavhi | Free State NBG

Searsia discolor

Common names: grassveld currant ( Eng. ); grasveld taaibos (Afr.); Koppshane, mohlohlooane (Southern Sotho)?; inhlangushane (Sw)?; Inkobesehlungulu, intlokotshane,

Family: Anacardiaceae

This attractive shrub is grown mainly for its fine foliage. Along with several other species in this genus, it is overlooked as a garden plant. Very little...

14 / 03 / 2005 | Peter Gavhi | Free State NBG

Searsia dentata

Common names: nana-berry ( Eng. ); nanabessie (Afr.); inKlolo (Xhosa); Lebelebele (Sotho); Umkungu (Ndebele)

Family: Anacardiaceae

The nana-berry, Searsia dentata, is an attractive shrub indigenous to South Africa with showy, lovely yellow to orange-red foliage in autumn. It is a common...

19 / 09 / 2005 | Peter Gavhi | Free State NBG

Searsia crenata

Common names: dune crow-berry; duinekraaibessie (Afr.)

Family: Anacardiaceae

If you live near the coast and need a plant that can serve as a windbreaker, is drought tolerant and able to bind soil effectively, then Searsia crenata is...

16 / 06 / 2014 | Benjamin Festus | Harold Porter NBG

Searsia ciliata

Common names: sour karee (Eng.); suurkaree (Afr.)

Family: Anacardiaceae

Searsia ciliata is one of the more modest members of this popular group of garden plants which hybridize easily. This species, like several others in the...

22 / 09 / 2003 | Shireen Harris | Free State NBG

Searsia chirindensis

Common names: red currant (Eng.); bos-taaibos (Afr.); motha-thaa (North Sotho); umhlakothi (Xhosa); inhlokoshiyane enkulu (Xhosa); muvhadela-phanga (Venda)

Family: Anacardiaceae

The red currant, Searsia chirindensis, is an attractive, African tree with lovely reddish autumn foliage. It is common throughout the eastern part...

27 / 01 / 2003 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG

Searsia burchellii

Common names: Karoo kunibush (Eng.); karookoeniebos (Afr.); mokhoamphiri, tshilabele (Sesotho); motshôtlhô (Tswana)

Family: Anacardiaceae

A much-branched, evergreen shrub or small tree with small, glossy, waxy leaves, common in the dry karroid regions of southern Africa, that is frost hardy...

05 / 12 / 2016 | Stemmer Ngalo | Free State NBG

Searsia batophylla

Common names: bramble currant (Eng.); braamtaaibos (Afr.)

Family: Anacardiaceae

The bramble currant is a shrub with conspicuously bicoloured (two-coloured), bramble-like leaves which make it easy to identify.This plant was previously...

08 / 07 / 2013 | J K Baloyi | Pretoria NBG

Scolopia mundii

Common names: red pear, mountain saffron (Eng.); rooipeer, doringpeer, bergsaffraan, klipdoring (Afr.); uLoyiphela, umdwendwelencuba, iHlambahlale, inGqumuza, iDung

Family: Salicaceae

Scolopia mundii is a graceful and attractive tree producing glossy, dark green leaves and striking yellow to orange fruits. It is relatively widespread...

22 / 08 / 2005 | Jan-Hakon Burring | Kirstenbosch NBG

Sclerochiton harveyanus

Common names: blue lips (Eng.); blou-lippe (Afr.); mazabuka (Swati); isiThibothi (Xhosa)

Family: Acanthaceae

Unusually lipped, mauve-blue flowers create a pretty floral display on this shade-loving shrub with its attractive glossy green foliage....

30 / 08 / 2010 | Sarah Curtis | Kirstenbosch NBG

Sclerocarya birrea

Common names: marula (Eng.); morula (Northern Sotho); mufula (Tshivenda); ukanyi (Tsonga)

Family: Anacardiaceae

The edible fruits and the multiple uses associated with almost all parts of the marula, make it one of southern Africa's most valued trees....

27 / 10 / 2003 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Pretoria NBG

Scilla natalensis

This plant is now called Merwilla plumbea....

| | Pretoria NBG

Schrebera alata

Common names: wild jasmine, wing-leafed wooden pear, (Eng.); wildejasmyn, houtpeer (Afr.); mulungwi (Venda); umGwenye-hlangula (Xhosa); umGwenya-hlungulu, umSishane

Family: Oleaceae

Wild jasmine anoints your garden with a pleasant, sweet-scented fragrance and glorifies it with white to dark pinkish red flowers during the summer season....

04 / 01 / 2010 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Schotia latifolia

Common names: forest boer-bean, bush boer-bean (Eng.); bosboerboon, boerboontjie (Afr.); umGxam, umXamo (isiXhosa); umGxamu (isiZulu)

Family: Fabaceae

The attractive pink blooms of the forest boer-bean are probably its most distinctive feature, unlike its close relatives, the weeping boer-bean (Schotia...

16 / 04 / 2007 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Schotia capitata

Common names: dwarf boer-bean, forest tree-fuschia, wild-fuschia, Transvaal boer-bean (Eng.); kleinboerboon, transvaalboerboon (Afr.); isincasha, uvovovo (Zulu).

Family: Fabaceae

A dwarf relative of the weeping boer-bean, with a short, bushy form and numerous scarlet flowers in dense heads in spring and early summer, common in eastern...

31 / 08 / 2020 | Thabang Makola | Karoo Desert NBG

Schotia brachypetala

Common names: weeping boer-bean, tree fuchsia, African walnut (Eng.); huilboerboon (Afr.); umfofofo, umgxam, ishimnumyane (Xhosa), ihluze, umgxamu, uvovovo (Zulu),

Family: Fabaceae

A handsome tree with a wide-spreading, rounded crown, and bright red, nectar-filled flowers in spring and early summer that attract many birds and insects;...

03 / 09 / 2001 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Schotia afra var. afra

Common names: Karoo boer-bean (Eng.), Karoohuilboerboon (Afr.)

Family: Fabaceae

This delightful, small, water-wise tree is a must for the home gardener who wants an attractive evergreen tree. ...

10 / 03 / 2003 | Roger Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG

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