Plants of the Week

Bulbine ramosa

Common names: Badspoort bulbine (Eng.); badspoortkopieva (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbine ramosa is an obligatory cliff-hugger, with bright green, ascending, pencil-like, tapering leaves and a solitary inflorescence of yellow flowers...

05 / 04 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Bulbine rupicola

Common names: dwarf cliff bulbine (Eng.); dwergkopieva (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

A dwarf cliff-hugger, with numerous dwarf rosettes of dull green, rounded, soft, succulent leaves from cliffs in the southwestern corner of the Eastern...

19 / 04 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Bulbine sceletium

Common names: blue cliff-bulbine (Eng.); bloukranskopieva (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbine sceletium is a cliff-squatting, aloe-like plant with sparingly branched rosettes of soft, pale green, striated leaves and solitary inflorescences...

31 / 10 / 2022 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Bulbine succulenta

Common names: compass plant (Eng.); kopiva, wildekopiva (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbine succulenta is an attractive bulbous plant, and a low-maintenance and rewarding ornamental plant.Fig. 1: Bulbine succulenta, plants in flower, flowers...

29 / 11 / 2021 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG

Bulbine suurbergensis

Common names: Suurberg Bulbine (Eng.); suurbergkopieva (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbine suurbergensis is an aloe-like plant, with drooping, sparsely branched stems and soft leaves, that hangs from the quartzitic sandstone cliff faces...

22 / 03 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Bulbine thomasiae

Common names: Mbashe bulbine (Eng.); mbashekopieva (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbine thomasiae is an obligatory cliff-hugger, with rosettes of dull green, soft, succulent leaves that grow from the shale cliff faces along the Mbashe...

26 / 04 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Bulbinella

Common names: bulbinella (Eng.); katstert (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

The genus Bulbinella includes 18 species occurring in the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa and an additional six species from...

19 / 03 / 2012 | S Boatwright | Compton Herbarium

Bulbinella eburniflora

Common names: bleekkatstert (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbinella eburniflora is a vulnerable species from the Bokkeveld Plateau, threatened with habitat loss due to ploughing and livestock grazing....

30 / 03 / 2015 | Eugene Marinus | Hantam NBG

Bulbinella latifolia subsp. doleritica

Common names: rooikatstert

Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbinella latifolia subsp. doleritica is a rare species from the Bokkeveld plateau and occurs in the vicinity of the internationally famous...

09 / 08 / 2010 | Ismail Ebrahim | CREW

Burchellia bubalina

Common names: wild pomegranate (Eng.); wildegranaat (Afr.); iThobankomo (X), isiGolwane (Z); maHlosana (Sw)

Family: Rubiaceae

The wild pomegranate is an attractive ornamental shrub/tree that is also used to attract nectar-feeding birds. The combination of its bright red flowers...

14 / 02 / 2005 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG

Burkea africana

Common names: wild seringa (Eng.); wildesering (Afr.); mpulu (Tsonga), monato (Tswana); monatô (Northern Sotho); mufhulu (Venda)

Family: Fabaceae

An attractive, medium-sized, flat-topped tree, difficult to grow and not yet produced on a commercial scale....

25 / 01 / 2010 | T.T. Masupa | National Herbarium Pretoria

Buxus macowanii

Common names: African box, Cape box, small-leaved box (Eng.), buig-my-nie, Afrikaansebuksboom, Kaapsebuksboom, kleinblaarbuksboom (Afr.), igalagala (isiXhosa), umga

Family: Buxaceae

A small, very slow-growing tree with a clean slender stem and a dense crown of shiny green leaves; it is a good pot plant, can be clipped and trained into...

06 / 05 / 2002 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG

Buxus natalensis

Common names: large-leaved box, Natal box, box-wattle (Eng.); grootblaarbuksboom, Natalsebuksboom (Afr.); umgalagala, isixesa, umngquzu (isiXhosa); igudlangulubi, u

Family: Buxaceae

This much-branched shrub to small tree is characterized by its glossy, leathery, dark green leaves that make it most outstanding amongst the rest of the...

27 / 06 / 2016 | Zama Sibisi | Walter Sisulu NBG

Cadaba aphylla

Common names: leafless cadaba, leafless wormbush, black storm, desert spray (Eng.); swartstorm, bobbejaanarm, bloustam, doubos, douwurmbos, gifhoutjie, rooistorm, s

Family: Brassicaceae

...

03 / 05 / 2004 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG

Caesalpinia bracteata

Common names: Gariep plume-flower (Eng.); Gariep pronkstert (Afr.)

Family: Fabaceae

Caesalpinia bracteata represents a fairly recent discovery. It is a rare, thorny shrub with beautiful pink flowers, endemic to the dry desert of the lower...

30 / 01 / 2017 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Caesalpinia rostrata

Common names: beakpod plumeflower/ beaked plumeflower (Eng.); tuitpeulpronkstert (Afr.)

Family: Fabaceae

This medium to large scrambling shrub with its beautiful leaf patterns produces pink flowers towards the end of the year. It is an interesting plant for...

08 / 04 / 2013 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG

Calanthe sylvatica

Common names: forest-dwelling calanthe (Eng.)

Family: Orchidaceae

A robust, terrestrial orchid with large, pale lilac or purple blooms during summer....

10 / 04 / 2023 | Siphesihle Precious Sibiya | Kirstenbosch NBG

Callilepis laureola

Common names: Ox-eye Daisy (eng.); Wildemargriet (Afr.); mila (Sw); amafuthomhlaba, ihlamvu, impila (Z)

Family: Asteraceae

This is a spring flower of the grasslands with the unusual combination of dark disc, white rays and bright green foliage, making it an attractive garden...

24 / 03 / 2008 | Desiree Marimuthoo | KwaZulu-Natal NBG