Plants of the Week

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E.g., 04/10/2024
E.g., 04/10/2024

Pelargonium peltatum

Pelargonium peltatum
Common names: ivy-leaved pelargonium, ivy pelargonium, wild sorrel, cascading pelargonium (Eng.); kolsuring, wildemalva (Afr.); umnewana, ityholo (isiXhosa)
Family: Geraniaceae

The ivy-leaved pelargonium is a winner and a beautiful garden plant....

17 / 10 / 2005 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Mystroxylon aethiopicum

Mystroxylon aethiopicum: Photo: Geoff Nichols
Common names: kooboo-berry, spoonwood (Eng.); koeboebessie, lepelboom, lepelhout (Afr.); umbomvane, umgxube, umnqayi (Xhosa); monamane (Northern Sotho); mukwatikwat
Family: Celastraceae

Mystroxylon aethiopicum is an attractive evergreen tree that is useful as an ornamental garden tree, planted as a hedge, in groups or solitary and...

10 / 10 / 2005 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Crassula multicava

Crassula multicava
Common names: fairy crassula, pitted crassula (Eng.); feetjie crassula, skaduplakkie (Afr.); umadinsane (Zulu)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassulas are often small, curiously formed plants that are favourites for succulent collectors. Crassula multicava is one of those plants that can be...

10 / 10 / 2005 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ancylobotrys capensis

Climbing hooks and flowers at tip hooks
Common names: rock milk apricot, wild apricot, dwarf wild apricot, wild peach ( Eng. ); klipmelkappelkoos, wilde-appelkoos, wilde-perske (Afr.); morobe (Northern So
Family: Apocynaceae

The fragrant, hardy, indigenous wild apricot, Ancylobotrys capensis, is a good substitute for the Chinese jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum) the scent of which...

10 / 10 / 2005 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Watsonia borbonica

Common names: pink watsonia ( Eng. ); suurkanol, kanolpypie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

This magnificent bulbous plant with tall spikes of rose-pink, trumpet-shaped flowers makes a picturesque display, flowering for up to 4 or 5 weeks - a...

03 / 10 / 2005 | S Nonkenge | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Felicia amelloides

Felicia amelloides
Common names: blue felicia bush, shrubby felicia, bush felicia, blue felicia, blue marguerite, blue daisy bush, Paris daisy (Eng.); bloumagriet, blou-astertjie (Afr
Family: Asteraceae

 Felicia amelloides catches the eye wherever it is planted, with its striking sky-blue and sunny yellow flowerheads, held well above the leaves. Felicia...

03 / 10 / 2005 | S Smithies | Pretoria NBG
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Cussonia transvaalensis

Young plant of C. transvaalensis
Common names: grey cabbage tree (Eng.); vaal kiepersol (Afr.); motshetshe (Northern Sotho)
Family: Araliaceae

Cussonia transvaalensis is a striking, very useful tree as a focal point in the landscape, due to its strong architectural form; it may also be used...

03 / 10 / 2005 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Tapinanthus oleifolius

Tapinanthus oleifolius in flower.  Image copyright L J Musselman
Common names: lighting matches, mistletoe (Eng.); voëlent, vuurhoutjie (Afr.); boletswa (Northern Sotho); nzunzu ( Venda )
Family: Loranthaceae

Tapinanthus oleifolius is one of the best known of the evergreen half-parasitic shrubs growing on other trees and shrubs. The sticky seeds are deposited...

26 / 09 / 2005 | Cathbert Makgakga | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Stoeberia arborea

Rounded inflorescence of flowers
Common names: tree mesemb ( Eng. ); rooi-vye, boomvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Stoeberia arborea is the largest member of the Mesembryanthemaceae. It is a woody, ascending shrub, 2 to 5 m tall and bearing small white flowers....

26 / 09 / 2005 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Diospyros lycioides

In fruit
Common names: bluebush, star-apple, monkey plum (Eng.); bloubos (Afr.); Muthala (Venda); Lethanyu (Tswana); Monkga-nku (Southern Sotho); Mtloumana (Northern Sotho);
Family: Ebenaceae

This exciting shrub or small tree is a very tough plant which grows well country-wide. Its most attractive features are its smooth bark, blue-green leaves,...

26 / 09 / 2005 | Luambo David Rambuwani | Free State NBG
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Searsia dentata

Searsia dentata: Photo copyright Geoff Nichols
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
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Sesamum sp. aff. reniforme

Flowers with seed capsule forming © P Winter
Common names: Limpopo foxglove
Family: Pedaliaceae

One of several previously undocumented species in the dry savanna of Limpopo Province, the Limpopo foxglove yearns for the bit of limelight it surely deserves....

19 / 09 / 2005 | Pieter Winter | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Rhus dentata

This shrub is now known as Searsia dentata....

19 / 09 / 2005 | | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Moraea gigandra

Moraea gigandra
Common names: grootflappie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

With its arrestingly showy, mauvish blue to deep blue spring blooms, ease of cultivation and the largest flowers of all the peacock moraeas, Moraea gigandra...

19 / 09 / 2005 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Hymenolepis crithmifolia

Hymenolepis crithmifolia
Common names: coulter-bush (Eng.); koulterbos, pôbos, pokbos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Do you need to brighten a dull area in your garden? Then plant Hymenolepis crithmifolia in masses there - it will bring a bright yellow glow...

12 / 09 / 2005 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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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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Cliffortia ferruginea

Cliffortia ferruginea
Common names: glossy cliffortia (Eng.); glastee, pypsteelbos, teringtee (Afr.)
Family: Rosaceae

A hardy, attractive ground cover with glossy green foliage that is so very versatile it can find a place to please in any everyone's garden....

12 / 09 / 2005 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Muraltia spinosa

Muraltia spinosa
Common names: tortoise berry (Eng.); skilpadbessie, duinebessie, bokbessie (Afr.); mmaba (Tswana); cargoe (Nama)
Family: Polygalaceae

The tortoise berry is a striking plant when covered in its masses of dainty purple flowers. Attractive and unusual spiny foliage, pretty red edible fruits...

05 / 09 / 2005 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Prionium serratum

Palmiet at Harold Porter NBG
Common names: palmiet (Eng.); palmiet, palmito, wildepalmiet, wilde palmit (Afr.); iNtsikane (Xhosa)
Family: Juncaceae

Palmiet is a robust shrub that plays an important role in mostly the Western Cape river ecology. This water-loving shrub is renowned for its practical...

05 / 09 / 2005 | Phakamani Xaba | Harold Porter NBG
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Ornithogalum saundersiae

Flowers
Common names: giant chincherinchee ( Eng. ); reuse tjienkerientjee (Afr.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

The giant chincherinchee is an attractive, easily cultivated garden plant and produces eye-catching, long-lasting flowers that are very suitable for use...

05 / 09 / 2005 | Ronell R. Klopper | National Herbarium Pretoria
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