Plants of the Week

Bauhinia bowkeri

Common names: Kei Bauhinia, Kei White Bauhinia (Eng.), Keibeesklou (Afr.), umDlandlovu (Xhosa)

Family: Fabaceae

A tall, graceful shrub with arching stems, decorative rounded foliage and fragrant white flowers in early summer, best in warm, dry gardens where frost...

24 / 12 / 2001 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe verecunda

Common names: rand grass aloe, witwatersrand grass aloe (Eng.); randgrasaalwyn (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe verecunda, with its striking orange-red flowers and grasslike leaves, is an attractive deciduous grassland aloe....

24 / 12 / 2001 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG

Orthosiphon labiatus

See Ocimum labiatum....

17 / 12 / 2001 | | Walter Sisulu NBG

Ocimum labiatum

Common names: pink sage bush, shell bush (Eng.); pienksalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

A stunning drought-hardy ornamental shrub which thrives in full sun or partial shade, flowering prolifically from early summer to late autumn....

17 / 12 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Calodendrum capense

Common names: Cape chestnut, wild chestnut (Eng.); wildekastaiing, Kaapsekastaiing (Afr.); umbaba, umsitshana (Xhosa); umbhaba, umemezi omhlophe (Zulu), molalakgwed

Family: Rutaceae

Calodendrum capense, a beautiful tree from the Cape, the name says it all: kalos means beautiful, and dendron is Greek for tree, capense is...

17 / 12 / 2001 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Wachendorfia thyrsiflora

Common names: marsh butterfly lily, bloodroot, redroot (Eng.); rooikanol (Afr.)

Family: Haemodoraceae

Wachendorfia thyrsiflora with its large golden flower spikes is very striking when in flower....

10 / 12 / 2001 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Plumbago auriculata

Common names: Cape leadwort, plumbago (English); blousyselbos (Afrikaans); umabophe (Xhosa/ Zulu); umasheleshele (Zulu)

Family: Plumbaginaceae

Plumbago is an extremely reliable, resilient plant which has been popular for home gardens as well as for commercial landscapes for many years. Plumbago...

10 / 12 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Gomphostigma virgatum

Common names: river star, otter bush, besembossie

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Gomphostigma virgatum is a beautiful, evergreen, perennial shrub that can grow up to 2,6m high....

03 / 12 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Aulax umbellata

Common names: Broad-leaf Featherbush (Eng.), Veerkanariebos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

A slender shrub with bright yellow flowerheads contrasting vividly with the purplish brown young foliage around the flowerheads during summer....

03 / 12 / 2001 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG

Geranium incanum

Common names: Carpet Geranium (English); Horlosies, Vrouetee, Bergtee, (Afrikaans); ngope-sethsoha, tlako (Sotho).

Family: Geraniaceae

The Carpet Geranium is an ideal garden plant. It spreads and forms a dense carpet approximately 300 mm thick and flowers almost all year round with a peak...

26 / 11 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Diascia integerrima

Common names: twinspurs (Eng.); horinkies (Afr.)

Family: Scrophulariaceae

This lovely delicate plant is a jewel in the garden for it flowers abundantly throughout the summer....

26 / 11 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Grewia occidentalis

Common names: cross-berry, four-corners (E), kruisbessie (A), Mokukutu (Setsw.), Mogwane (N.Sotho), iLalanyathi (Zulu), umSipane (Siswati), umNqabaza (Xhosa), Mulem

Family: Malvaceae

This attractive indigenous shrub has a wide natural distribution....

19 / 11 / 2001 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG

Erica ventricosa

Common names: wax heath, washeide, porcelain heath, Franschhoek heath, Franschhoekheide

Family: Ericaceae

Erica ventricosa, with its exquisite flowers and dense, compact habit, is one of the most attractive of the Erica species. ...

19 / 11 / 2001 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Elegia fistulosa

Common names: Hollow Reed, Pypriet

Family: Restionaceae

Elegia fistulosa is a tall, grass-like plant, decorative nearly all year round, low-maintenance, easy and rewarding to grow....

12 / 11 / 2001 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG

Syncolostemon transvaalensis

Common names: Mpumalanga sagebush (Eng.), Mpumalangasalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Syncolostemon transvaalensis is decorative, pleasantly aromatic and easy to grow....

05 / 11 / 2001 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Zantedeschia aethiopica

Common names: White or common arum lily (English); wit varkoor (Afrikaans); intebe (Xhosa) ihlukwe (Zulu)

Zantedeschia aethiopica is an old fashioned, but very rewarding garden plant....

05 / 11 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Watsonia marginata

Common names: broad-leaf watsonia (Eng.), breëblaar-kanolpypie, rooikanolpypie, kanolpypie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Watsonia marginata is a very pretty plant, with attractive foliage and gorgeous spikes of cup-shaped pink or white flowers. It is easily distinguished...

29 / 10 / 2001 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Maerua cafra

Common names: Common bush-cherry, White-wood, Witbos

Family: Capparaceae

This is an unusual, very attractive little tree, especially when covered in fragrant white flowers in early spring. You may need to be patient...

29 / 10 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Merwilla plumbea

Common names: wild squill, blue squill, blue hyacinth, blouberglelie, blouslangkop, inguduza

Family: Hyacinthaceae

Merwilla plumbea is a graceful perennial bulb, and with its tall plumes of blue flowers, the showiest of the South African scillas. Merwilla plumbea is...

22 / 10 / 2001 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Senegalia caffra

Common names: common hook-thorn, cat thorn(English); gewone haakdoring, katdoring (Afrikaans); umTholo (Zulu); Motholo (N. Sotho); Morutlhare (Tswana); Mbvhinya-xih

Family: Fabaceae

This beautiful tree is the most common naturally occurring senegalia in the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden. It may reach up to 14m and has an...

22 / 10 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

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