Plants of the Week

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E.g., 07/10/2024
E.g., 07/10/2024

Erica lateralis

Erica lateralis
Common names: button heath (Eng.); knopiesheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

This sturdy evergreen shrub boasts with masses of rosy to pink flowers from late summer until early winter, around February to June. It is ideal for mass...

13 / 09 / 2021 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Synaptolepis oliveriana

Synaptolepis oliveriana
Common names: chalk-stick root (Eng); uvuma omhlophe (isiZulu)
Family: Thymelaeaceae

Synaptolepis oliveriana is a much-branched, scrambling shrub, with spear-shaped leaves and sweetly scented, creamy yellow flowers in summer; the plant...

13 / 09 / 2021 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Haemanthus sanguineus

Haemanthus sanguineus
Common names: smooth bloodlily, April fool (Eng.); veldskoenblaar, brandlelie (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

The blood-red flowers of Haemanthus sanguineus stand out in the late summer flowering season, and its magnificent leaves are quite spectacular to see during...

06 / 09 / 2021 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG
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Aloe dewinteri

Aloe dewinterii
Common names: Sesfontein Aloe (Eng.); Sesfonteinaalwyn (Afr.).
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe dewinteri is at once distinguished by its stemless rosettes of grey-green to whitish green, spreading leaves, and 3-branched inflorescences bearing...

06 / 09 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Othonna quinquedentata

Othonna quinquedentata
Common names: Five-tooth baboon cabbage, heavenly daisy (Eng.); bobbejaankool (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

The five-tooth baboon cabbage, with its thick, light green, slightly fleshy leaves, looks inconspicuous at most times of the year but a few months after...

30 / 08 / 2021 | Karen Wall | Harold Porter NBG
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Nemesia leipoldtii

Nemesia leipoldtii
Common names: Karoo nemesia (Eng.); Karooleeubekkie (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

A cheerful annual with white or purple flowers, to create a glistening carpet in your garden, from late winter to spring. This species is not well-known...

30 / 08 / 2021 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ledebouria pusilla

Ledebouria pusilla
Common names: Swazi African hyacinth (Eng.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This tiny bulb is the smallest of all the ledebourias in the world. Often with only one or two leaves per plant, this species is tiny in all respects....

23 / 08 / 2021 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Haworthia cymbiformis var. setulifera

Haworthia cymbiformis var. setulifera
Common names: cliff haworthia (Eng.); krans-dwergaalwyntjie (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Haworthia cymbiformis var. setulifera is a dwarf, compact growing, cliff-hugger, consisting of dense clumps of numerous, small rosettes of sparingly toothed,...

23 / 08 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Haworthia cymbiformis var. ramosa

Haworthia cymbiformis var. ramosa
Common names: Keiskamma haworthia (Eng.); Keiskamma-dwergaalwyntjie (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Haworthia cymbiformis var. ramosa is a dwarf, cliff-hugger, with numerous small rosettes of light green, triangular-lanceolate, succulent leaves and a...

16 / 08 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pteronia incana

Pteronia incana
Common names: ash bush, blue bush, wild lavender bush (Eng.), asbos, asbossie, bloubos, laventelbossie, kraakbos (Afr.).
Family: Asteraceae

This unpalatable, aromatic, dwarf shrub with beautiful, dusty grey foliage and bright yellow flowers in spring and early summer, is one of the most widely...

16 / 08 / 2021 | Thabang Makola | Karoo Desert NBG
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Haworthiopsis attenuata

Haworthiopsis attenuata
Common names: zebra plant, zebra haworthiopsis (Eng.) sebra-dwergaalwyntjie (Afr.); intelezi (isiXhosa)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Zebra Haworthia is an attractive, low-growing succulent that forms rosettes of fleshy, dark green leaves with white tubercles....

09 / 08 / 2021 | Philisiwe Nonhlanhla Biyela | Pretoria NBG
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Ledebouria caesiomontana

Ledebouria caesiomontana
Common names: Blouberg African hyacinth
Family: Asphodelaceae

This small and cryptic species remains very elusive in its natural habitat, due to its ability to hide amongst grasses and other vegetation, as a result...

09 / 08 / 2021 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Corchorus olitorius

Corchorus olitorius
Common names: Egyptian spinach, Indian jute, wild jute, bush okra, Jew’s mallow, West African sorrel, jute mallow, tossa jute (Eng.); wilde jute, Indiese jute (Af
Family: Malvaceae

A tropical, fast-growing, annual herb, up to 4 m tall, with a fibrous stem and yellow flowers in 1 to 2 months from the time of germination....

02 / 08 / 2021 | Meshack Nethavhani | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Abrus laevigatus

Abrus laevigatus
Common names: luckybean creeper (Eng.); minnaarsboontjie, minnie-minnies (Afr.); umphitsi (isiZulu)
Family: Fabaceae

Luckybean creeper is a climbing shrub, with long, slender stems, mauve to cream flowers in summer, and brown or black seeds. It is widespread in South...

02 / 08 / 2021 | T.T. Masupa | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Crossandra greenstockii

Crossandra greenstockii
Common names: bushveld crossandra (Eng.) rooiblom (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

Crossandra greenstockii is a beautiful little perennial, with bright orange to red flowers all summer; it looks very stunning in flower, providing a welcome...

26 / 07 / 2021 | Fergy Nkadimeng | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Ziziphus zeyheriana

Ziziphus zeyheriana
Common names: dwarf buffalo-thorn, small buffalo-thorn (Eng.); klein-wag-'n-bietjie, haakdoringbossie, haakdorinkie, haakbessie, toon-wag-'n-bietjie, wag-'n-bietjie
Family: Rhamnaceae

Ziziphus zeyheriana or, as it is commonly known, dwarf buffalo-thorn, is an inconspicuous, stunted, woody shrub and, just like its relative the tree Ziziphus...

26 / 07 / 2021 | Thamsanqa Msweli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Philenoptera sutherlandii

Philenoptera sutherlandii
Common names: forest apple-leaf, giant umzimbeet, bastard umzimbeet (Eng.); bosappelblaar, reuseomsambeet, basteromsambeet (Afr.); umsimbishana, umsimbithana (isiZu
Family: Fabaceae

A large and handsome evergreen tree, with showy pink or purple flowers in midsummer, that grows mainly in forest habitat....

19 / 07 / 2021 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cyrtanthus

Cyrtanthus elatus
Common names: fire lily (Eng.); brandlelie, vuurlelie (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Cyrtanthus is an African genus of bulbous plants, comprising an extraordinary range of attractive flower forms, in a wide range of colours. Many species...

19 / 07 / 2021 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Haworthiopis attenuata var. attenuata ‘Enon’

Haworthiopsis attenuata ‘Enon’
Common names: Enon haworthiopsis (Eng.); Enon-dwergaalwyntjie (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Haworthiopis attenuata var. attenuata ‘Enon’ is a rare, ornamental, cliff-hugger, with numerous rosettes of dull green, triangular-lanceolate,...

15 / 07 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Anemone bracteata

Anemone bracteata
Common names: blistering leaves (Eng.), brandblaar (Afr.), umvuthuza (isiZulu), umvuthuza (isiXhosa)
Family: Ranunculaceae

Anemone bracteata is an understory plant, with densely hairy stems and leaf stalks, and greenish white flowers in summer; the whole plant is harvested...

12 / 07 / 2021 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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