Plants of the Week

Felicia echinata

Common names: dune daisy, prickly felicia (Eng.), bloublommetjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Felicia echinata is easy to recognize by its glossy leaves that are edged with small white teeth and curved to form a sharp tip. This prickly protection...

06 / 08 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Buddleja salviifolia

Common names: sagewood, butterfly bush, mountain sage (Eng.); saliehout (Afr.); ewanci, ilotana, igqange (Xhosa); igwangi, iloshane, ilothane, ilotshane, mupambati

Family: Scrophulariaceae

This small tree is deliciously scented in early spring....

06 / 08 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Protea neriifolia

Common names: oleander-leaf protea, narrow-leaf protea (Eng.), baardsuikerbos, baardsuikerkan, blousuikerkan (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

Protea neriifolia is an excellent plant for the garden and an outstanding and long lasting cut flower....

30 / 07 / 2001 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe striata

Common names: Coral Aloe (English); Blouaalwyn (Afrikaans)

Family: Asphodelaceae

...

30 / 07 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Ptaeroxylon obliquum

Common names: Sneezewood, Nieshout, umThathi (Xhosa

Family: Rutaceae

Ptaeroxylon (pronounced 'teroxillon') is a direct Greek translation meaning sneeze and wood; obliquum refers to the oblique leaflets. Umtata in...

27 / 07 / 2001 | Robert Archer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Loxostylis alata

Common names: Wild Pepper Tree, Tarwood, Tigerwood (Eng.), Wildepeperboom, Breekhout, Tederhout, Teerhout, Tierhout (Afr.), Isibara (Zulu), Isibara (Xhosa)

Family: Anacardiaceae

A small, well-shaped tree with glossy foliage tinged with red when young and masses of white flowers in early summer, and if the tree is a female it has...

27 / 07 / 2001 | Robert Archer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Coleonema aspalathoides

Common names: confetti bush

Family: Rutaceae

Coleonema aspalathoides forms a dense upright shrub, 0.5 - 1 m tall. Bright pink, star-shaped flowers, 8-10 mm in diameter, are borne singly but in profusion...

23 / 07 / 2001 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe ferox

Common names: bitter aloe, red aloe (English); bitteraalwyn, bergaalwyn (Afrikaans); iNhlaba (Zulu); iKhala (Xhosa)

Family: Asphodelaceae

This is one of the best known South african plants with a long history of medicinal use. An attractive form of Aloe ferox is found in KwaZulu-Natal,...

23 / 07 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Cotyledon barbeyi

Common names: bushveld cotyledon (Eng.); plakkie (Afr.)

Family: Crassulaceae

This is an easy to grow succulent plant with attractive shiny red flowers....

16 / 07 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Chasmanthe floribunda 'Duckittii'

Common names: yellow cobra lily, yellow chasmanthe, Duckitt chasmanthe (Eng.); geelpiempiempie, geelkapelpypie, geelsuurkanolpypie, geelpypie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Chasmanthe floribunda ''Duckittii' is an attractive deciduous, winter-growing, cormous geophyte with fresh green sword-shaped leaves and spikes...

16 / 07 / 2001 | Jacqueline Esau | Kirstenbosch NBG

Protea cynaroides

Common names: King Protea, Giant Protea (Eng.), Reuse Protea, Koningprotea, Grootsuikerroos, Grootsuikerkan, Bergsuikerkan (Afr.), isiQwane esincinci (isiZhosa)

Family: Proteaceae

Surely the best known protea, prized worldwide as a magnificent cut flower and in South Africa honoured as the national flower....

09 / 07 / 2001 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe pluridens

Common names: French aloe (Eng.), Fransaalwyn, garaa (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

...

09 / 07 / 2001 | Alice Notten | Walter Sisulu NBG

Hypoestes aristata var. aristata 'Purple Haze'

Common names: ribbon bush (E) lintbos (A) uhlonyane (Z)

This is a special form of the popular ribbon bush Hypoestes aristata which is a garden stalwart....

02 / 07 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Erica baueri subsp. baueri

Common names: bridal heath, Albertinia heath (Eng.); witheide (Afr.)

Family: Ericaceae

Erica baueri subsp. baueri is one of the most popular and widely cultivated of the South African species. It is one of the few ericas that regularly...

02 / 07 / 2001 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Tetradenia riparia

Common names: misty plume bush, ginger bush (English); gemmerbos, watersalie (Afrikaans); iboza, ibozane (Zulu)

Family: Lamiaceae

An encounter with Tetradenia riparia in flower in the wintry, dry bush is most surprising. There is the impression of soft lilac mist on bare...

25 / 06 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Agathosma ovata 'Kluitjieskraal'

Common names: Kluitjieskraal false buchu (E); Kluitjieskraalbasterboegoe (A)

Family: Rutaceae

Agathosma ovata is a variable shrub and occurs from the Western Cape up into KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho. It is commonly known as the false buchu. 'Kluitjieskraal'...

25 / 06 / 2001 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Euryops pectinatus

Common names: woolly resin bush, golden euryops, golden daisy bush (Eng.), wolharpuisbos (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

This is a colourful, easily grown shrub from the winter rainfall region....

11 / 06 / 2001 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG

Eriocephalus africanus

Common names: wild rosemary (Eng.), wilderoosmaryn, kapokbos (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Wild rosemary is one of the shrubs that most people in the Cape know because it is so common in the veld and easy to identify with its thin, grey leaves,...

11 / 06 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Olinia emarginata

Common names: mountain hard pear (Eng.); berghardpeer (Afr.)

Family: Oliniaceae

Olinia emarginata is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree, with attractive flowers and berries which makes for an attractive garden ornamental,...

04 / 06 / 2001 | Berenice Carolus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Pelargonium sidoides

Common names: black pelargonium (Eng.) kalwerbossie, rabassam (Afr.), ikubalo, iyeza lesikhali (Xhosa), khoara-e-nyenyane (Southern Sotho), umckaloabo (German remed

Family: Geraniaceae

A tufted pelargonium with velvety silver leaves and almost black flowers that is a well known medicinal plant in South Africa....

28 / 05 / 2001 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG

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