Plants of the Week

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E.g., 08/11/2024
E.g., 08/11/2024

Mentha longifolia

Mentha longifolia subsp.capensis
Common names: wild mint (Eng.); kruisement, balderjan, ballerja (Afr.); koena-ya-thaba, bohatsu (Southern Sotho); inixina, inzinziniba (Xhosa); ufuthana lomhlanga (
Family: Lamiaceae

With its strong mint smell and taste, this herb has found its way into homes for centuries where it has been used in the kitchen and as a medicine. There...

26 / 01 / 2004 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Felicia heterophylla

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
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Solanum giganteum

Berries of Solanum giganteum
Common names: healing-leaf tree, giant bitter-apple, red bitter-apple, red bitter-berry, thorny bug-tree (Eng.); geneesblaarboom, grootbitterappel, rooibitterbessie
Family: Solanaceae

This big shrub with its colourful, long-lasting berries and large leaves with silvery undersides, makes an unusual hedge or background plant....

19 / 01 / 2004 | M Welman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Agapanthus praecox

Agapanthus praecox subsp.orientalis
Common names: common agapanthus, blue lily (Eng.); bloulelie, agapant (Afr.); isicakathi (Xhosa); ubani (Zulu)
Family: Agapanthaceae

I doubt that there is a South African gardener alive that has not come across an agapanthus somewhere! They line our roads, and are in most gardens and...

19 / 01 / 2004 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Watsonia hysterantha

Watsonia hysterantha. Photo: G Duncan
Common names: autumn watsonia (Eng.); herfskanolpypie, suikerkan, rooipypie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Watsonia hysterantha is one of numerous, bright, dwarf watsonias endemic to Western Cape. While several tall-growing watsonias are frequently used in roadside...

12 / 01 / 2004 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Frithia pulchra

Frithia pulchra
Common names: bobbejaanvingers, glasies, toontjies, window plants and, perhaps most appropriately fairy elephant's feet.
Family: Aizoaceae

Window-leaf succulents are always very popular as the shape of the leaves is unique and when in flower the magenta petals with lighter centres cover the...

12 / 01 / 2004 | P Burgoyne | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Petalidium coccineum

Petalidium coccineum in conseravtory at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Kaoko petalidium (Eng.); rooi-tongklapper, Kaoko rooibekkiebos (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

The Kaoko petalidium is a fast-growing, branched shrub with smooth, white bark which contrasts with its striking, red, curved flowers and ornamental, mottled...

05 / 01 / 2004 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euryops virgineus

Euryops virgineus
Common names: honey euryops, river resin bush (Eng.); rivierharpuisbos, heuningmagriet (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Many collectors of South African plants have raved about this attractive plant, and J.D. Keet, who collected a specimen as early as 1918 in the Knysna...

05 / 01 / 2004 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Helichrysum splendidum

Helichrysum splendidum
Common names: cape gold (Eng.); geelsewejaartjie (Afr.); phefo-ea-loti, toanae-moru (S.Sotho)
Family: Asteraceae

...

29 / 12 / 2003 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ehretia rigida

Ehretia rigida in flower. Image Geoff Nicols
Common names: puzzle bush (Eng.); deurmekaarbos (Afr.); umHlele (Zulu); Morobe (Northern Sotho); iBotshane (Xhosa); Mutepe (Venda)
Family: Boraginaceae

Ehretia rigida is a deciduous small tree or shrub, usually multi-stemmed, with an untidy rounded crown. It has tangled branches which arch downwards or...

23 / 12 / 2003 | Avhurengwi Phillemon Ndou | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Erica inordinata

Erica inordinata
Common names: Kammanassie erica
Family: Ericaceae

Erica inordinata is a lovely species that is not well known because it occurs at a rather high altitude on the insular Kammanassie Mountain Range...

22 / 12 / 2003 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Justicia petiolaris

Justicia petiolaris
Common names: blue justicia, kissing-leaves (Eng.); kiesieblaar (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

Attractive and little-known perennial shrubs with soft velvety leaves and pretty pink-purple or mauve-blue, two-lipped, pouted flowers, present almost...

15 / 12 / 2003 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Sutherlandia frutescens

This plant is now called Lessertia frutescens....

08 / 12 / 2003 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Scabiosa incisa

Scabious incisa
Common names: coast scabious (Eng.), koringblommetjie (Afr.), isilawu esikhulu, iyeza lamehlo (Xhosa)
Family: Dipsacaceae

Scabiosa incisa with its large mauve or white flowers must be one of South Africa's prettiest indigenous perennials. Growing in small clumps, the flowerheads...

08 / 12 / 2003 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica turgida

Flowers of Erica turgida
Common names: Kenilworth heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica turgida is an erect, bushy plant 300-400 mm high, with slender, willowy and slightly hairy branches. ...

01 / 12 / 2003 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Salvia repens

Salvia repens
Common names: creeping sage (Eng.); kruipsalie (Afr.); usikiki (Xho.)
Family: Lamiaceae

As another member of the interesting sage family, this creeping sage with its aromatic leaves and abundance of flowers in summer, is a perennial worth...

24 / 11 / 2003 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ansellia africana

Heavily spotten form Photo Martin von Flintel
Common names: leopard orchid (Eng.); luiperdorgidee (Afr.); imfeyenkawu(Zulu)
Family: Orchidaceae

...

24 / 11 / 2003 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Heterolepis aliena

Heterolepis aliena
Common names: rock daisy (Eng.); rotsgousblom (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

When walking through the Mathews Rockery in Kirstenbosch during early summer, it is impossible to miss Heterolepis aliena. It is quite dazzling, covered...

17 / 11 / 2003 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Haemanthus coccineus

Flowering in late summer
Common names: March flower, April fool, blood flower, paintbrush lily, powderpuff lily, king-of-Candia, pincushion (Eng.); bergajuin, bloedblom, rooikwas, bobbejaan
Family: Amaryllidaceae

One of the surprises of late summer, with flowerheads like bright shaving brushes popping up from underground bulbs, is Haemanthus coccineus, which has...

17 / 11 / 2003 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
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Satyrium carneum

Satyrium carneum
Common names: pink satyr orchid (Eng.); rooikappie, rooi-trewwa, ewwa-trewwa (Afr.)
Family: Orchidaceae

Satyrium carneum, an endemic orchid in Western Cape from the Cape Peninsula to Riversdale, is becoming increasingly local and rare....

10 / 11 / 2003 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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