Plants of the Week

Dombeya autumnalis

Common names: autumn dombeya, autumn wild pear (English); rotsdrolpeer (Afrikaans)

Family: Malvaceae

This is another attractive shrub for the garden....

28 / 05 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Kalanchoe rotundifolia

Common names: common Kalanchoe, round-leaf kalanchoe (Eng.); nentabos, plakkie (Afr.); idambisa, uchane, umadinsane (Zul.); umfayisele yasehlatini, ipewula (Xho.)

Family: Crassulaceae

A brittle succulent plant which grows up to 1 m tall under favourable conditions. It is a delightful little plant that puts up a brave show in clumps among...

21 / 05 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Helichrysum argyrophyllum

Common names: Mo's Gold, Golden guinea everlasting, Vaalsewejaartjie

Family: Asteraceae

This plant originates in the Eastern Cape. It favours dry places and bare, open, hard ground and grasslands. It is often found growing amongst rocks. This...

21 / 05 / 2001 | Ryan Smith | Kirstenbosch NBG

Barleria obtusa

Common names: bush violet, barleria (Eng.); bosviooltjie (Afr.); idololenkonyane (Zulu)

Family: Acanthaceae

Amongst the attractive red, bronze tints provided by tree foliage in autum, Barleria obtusa makes an even more spectacular show, when it is covered in...

14 / 05 / 2001 | Megan Isaacs | Kirstenbosch NBG

Senegalia ataxacantha

Common names: Flamethorn (E), Vlamdoring / Rank wag-'n-bietjie (Afr), umThathawe (Z), Mologa (N.Sotho), Mogôkatau (Setsw), Muluwa (V), umNga (X).

Family: Fabaceae

The most striking feature of this plant are the deep red to purple-red pods which are held in conspicuous bunches and account for the common name "flame...

14 / 05 / 2001 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG

Dombeya burgessiae

Common names: pink wild pear, pink dombeya, persdrolpeer (Afrikaans), ibunda (Zulu)

Family: Malvaceae

The pink wild pear is a garden favourite used by many gardeners and landscapers for its profusion of pink to white flowers borne in dense clusters which...

07 / 05 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Osteospermum moniliferum

Common names: bietou, boneseed, tickberry, brother berry, bush-tickberry (Eng.) bietou, boetabessie, bosluisbessie, bokbessie, weskusbietou, skilpadkos (Afr.), inku

Family: Asteraceae

A fast growing shrub with bright yellow daisies in autumn and winter followed by edible berries; a useful pioneer, screening plant and popular with birds...

07 / 05 / 2001 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Syncolostemon obermeyerae

Common names: Soutpansberg sagebush, pink sagebush (Eng.); Soutpansbergsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

Syncolostemon obermeyerae is a fast growing, much branched shrub which can grow to 1,8m tall....

30 / 04 / 2001 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clivia gardenii

Common names: Major Garden's clivia, Natal drooping clivia (English); boslelie (Afrikaans); umayime (Zulu)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Clivia gardenii is a subtle and delicately pretty sister to the well known Clivia miniata (Bush Lily), which has been in cultivation for many...

30 / 04 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Tecomaria capensis

Common names: Cape honeysuckle, tecomaria (Eng.); Kaapse kanferfoelie, trompetters (Afr.); malangula (Swazi); umsilingi, icakatha (Xhosa); lungana, incwincwi, uchac

Family: Bignoniaceae

...

23 / 04 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Agathosma lanceolata

Common names: Honey Buchu (E); Heuningboegoe (A)

Family: Rutaceae

Gently crush the leaves of this buchu and you will discover its liquorice scent. Interesting....

23 / 04 / 2001 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Thamnochortus insignis

Common names: Albertinia thatching reed (Eng.); dekriet, mannetjiesriet (Afr.)

Family: Restionaceae

A stunning accent plant with its slender stems tipped with small, golden-brown inflorescences in late summer, and water-wise too!...

16 / 04 / 2001 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG

Plectranthus

Family: Lamiaceae

Plectranthus is the largest South African genus in the mint family (Lamiaceae), with 44 species natural to our region, most of which occur on the...

09 / 04 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Aerva leucura

Common names: aambeibossie

Family: Amaranthaceae

It is not the size of the flowers, but rather the reliable show Aerva leucura gives in the herbaceous border from summer to autumn, that makes this a worthwhile...

09 / 04 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Dissotis canescens

Common names: pink wild tibouchina, pink marsh dissotis, ordeal bean (Eng); kalverbossie (Afr); imfeyesele (Zulu)

Family: Melastomataceae

This pretty shrub looks remarkably like a dwarf version of the related South American tibouchina trees (Tibouchina spp.) which are grown in the more...

02 / 04 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Plectranthus ecklonii

Common names: tall spurflower, Ecklon's plectranthus (Eng.); groot spoorsalie, Ecklon spoorsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

A fast-growing shrubby perennial with showy spikes of pink, blue or white flowers in autumn, ideal for shade or semi-shade....

26 / 03 / 2001 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe cooperi

Common names: Cooper's Aloe (Eng.); isiPutumane, isiPhukutwane (isiZulu)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe cooperi is a southern African grassland aloe....

26 / 03 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Barleria greenii

Common names: wild bush petunia, Green's barleria

Family: Acanthaceae

A beautiful shrub with large pink to white, night-scented flowers in summer....

19 / 03 / 2001 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG

Amaryllis belladonna

Common names: belladonna lily, March lily, naked lady (Eng.); Maartblom, Maartlelie, belladonnalelie (Afr.)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

The flowering stems of this bulb emerging from the bare ground is a sign that summer is coming to an end in the Cape....

12 / 03 / 2001 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe reitzii var. reitzii

Common names: Reitz' aloe

Family: Asphodelaceae

Although it is a rather rare species of aloe, it is easily distinguished by the handsome erect red flower spikes that are produced in summer (unlike most...

12 / 03 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

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