Plants of the Week

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E.g., 03/12/2024
E.g., 03/12/2024

Gomphostigma virgatum

Gomphostigma virgatum overhanging water
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
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Grewia bicolor

Grewia bicolor leaf and flower.  Image Geoff Nichols
Common names: white raisin (Eng.); witrosyntjie (Afr.); umsiphane (Swazi); nsihana, guguna, nsihani (Tsonga); mogwane (Tswana); murabva (Venda); umlalampunzi, imdli
Family: Malvaceae

The bicoloured-leaved Grewia bicolor has beautiful, bright yellow flowers. It is a frost-resistant, hardy shrub or small tree that is adaptable...

10 / 09 / 2012 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Grewia flavescens

Grewia flavescens
Common names: sandpaper raisin, rough-leaved raisinbush, square-stemmed raisin (Eng.); skurweblaarrosyntjie (Afr.); mogwane (N. Sotho); loklolo (Swazi); nsihana, nc
Family: Malvaceae

The light green Grewia flavescens has beautiful, bright yellow, and sometimes fragrant flowers. It is a frost-resistant, hardy shrub or small...

05 / 11 / 2012 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Grewia hexamita

Grewia hexamita.  Copyright Geoff Nichols
Common names: giant raisin (Eng.); reuserosyntjie, blinkblaarrosyntjie (Afr.); umsiphane (Swazi); nsihana, guguna, nsihani, sipane (Tsonga); mukunukunu (Venda); uml
Family: Malvaceae

The glossy dark green leafed Grewia hexamita has beautiful large, yellow, honey-scented flowers. It is a frost-resistant, hardy shrub or small...

20 / 08 / 2012 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Grewia monticola

Fruits of Grewia monticola
Common names: grey raisin, silver raisin (Eng.); vaalrosyntjie (Afr.); umsiphane (Swazi); nsihana (Tsonga); mogwanakg & ocirc;mo, mogwana (Tswana); umlalampunzi, is
Family: Malvaceae

The mountain-loving Grewia monticola has beautiful, bright yellow flowers. It is a frost-resistant, hardy shrub or small tree that is adaptable to all...

26 / 11 / 2012 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Grewia occidentalis

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
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Grewia robusta

Flowers and fruits of Grewia robusta
Common names: Karoo crossberry, Karoo crossberry raisin (Eng.); karookruisbessie (Afr); umnqabaza (Xhosa).
Family: Malvaceae

The sweetly scented Grewia robusta has beautiful, bright pink flowers. It is a frost-resistant, hardy shrub or small tree that is adaptable to...

24 / 12 / 2012 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Grewia lasiocarpa

Grewia lasiocarpa
Common names: forest raisin (Eng.); bosrosyntjie (Afr.); umhlolo (Xhosa); ilalanyathi (Zulu)
Family: Malvaceae

Grewia lasiocarpa is a wonderful fast-growing small tree, ideal for use as a screen, with lovely large, star-shaped pink flowers and fruit that is...

11 / 06 / 2007 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Greyia

Flowers of the Family Greyiacaea
Common names: wild bottlebrushes
Family: Melianthaceae

This family occurs only in South Africa, and consists of a single genus, Greyia Hook. & Harv. with 3 species, all small trees or shrubs. The...

20 / 09 / 2010 | F Nonyane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Greyia flanaganii

Flowers
Common names: Kei bottlebrush (E), Kei baakhout (A), uSinga lwamaxhegokazi (X).
Family: Melianthaceae

Greyia flanaganii has great horticultural potential as a spring flowering shrub that is yet to be fully explored by growers and gardeners. This tree...

14 / 10 / 2002 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Greyia sutherlandii

Greyia sutherlandii in flower
Common names: glossy bottlebrush, mountain bottlebrush, Natal bottlebrush, wild bottlebrush, beacon tree (Eng.); blinkblaarbaakhout, Natalse baakhout (Afr.); isidw
Family: Melianthaceae

This is a most decorative plant and is becoming popular as an ornamental subject in gardens....

02 / 10 / 2006 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Greyia radlkoferi

Greyia radlkoferi
Common names: woolly bottlebrush, Transvaal bottlebrush, wild bottlebrush (Eng.); wollerige baakhout (Afr.); isidwadwa (Zulu); inhlazane, indlebelembila (Swazi)
Family: Melianthaceae

The gnarled branches of Greyia radlkoferi make this small tree or shrub an attractive structural element for any garden. In nature, growing in misty gullies...

11 / 10 / 2004 | De La Cruz P | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gunnera perpensa

Gunnera perpensa
Common names: river pumpkin, wild rhubarb (Eng.); rivierpampoen, wilde ramenas (Afr.); qobo (Sotho); uqobho (Swati); rambola-vhadzimu, shambola-vhadzimu (Venda); ip
Family: Gunneraceae

Is this what the dinosaurs ate? Read on to find out.The genus Gunnera has numerous unique characteristics, some of which indicate that these plants have...

19 / 12 / 2005 | R Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Gymnosporia harveyana

Fruit and leaves
Common names: black forest spikethorn (Eng.); swartbospendoring (Afr.)
Family: Celastraceae

This is an evergreen, dense, spiny shrub or small tree, with lovely shiny foliage and small white-and-red fruits. It is suitable for small gardens as a...

14 / 06 / 2004 | M Jordan | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Geissorhiza eurystigma

Flowers
Common names: wine cups (Engl.); kelkie wyn (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Geissorhiza eurystigma is one of the few species in its genus with such large and colourful flowers. The combination of purple and red is indeed a beautiful...

03 / 11 / 2014 | Brittany Arendse | CREW
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Gasteria nitida

Gasteria nitida growing in natural habitat, east of Bathurst, E.Cape
Common names: Bathurst ox-tongue; Bathurst-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria nitida is a medium-sized, aloe-like succulent, endemic to the Eastern Cape, growing in grassland regions. It has showy, banded leaves, and grows...

15 / 12 / 2014 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gladiolus vandermerwei

Flowers of Gladiolus vandermerwei
Common names: Overberg renosterveld gladiolus (Eng.); rooipypie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus vandermerwei is a highly threatened species, occurring in the Ruens Renosterveld areas of the eastern Overberg. This species has become a flagship...

15 / 12 / 2014 | Ismail Ebrahim | CREW
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Gnidia denudata

Inflorescence
Common names: furry saffron bush (Eng.); saffraan (Afr.)
Family: Thymelaeaceae

Gnidia denudata is an attractive bushy shrub with long hairs that gives an effect of silver-like foliage. Like any other Gnidia species, it has terminal...

02 / 02 / 2015 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria barbae

Gasteria barbae growing in crevice
Common names: Hakerville gasteria
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria barbae is an exciting, new discovery confined to the coastal cliffs near Hakerville in the Knysna District. It has small rosettes of leaves covered...

31 / 03 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gladiolus rehmannii

Gladiolus rehmannii in flower
Common names: Bushveld gladiolus (Eng.); bosveldpypie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus rehmannii is a very attractive garden plant, forming part of the tremendous diversity within the Iris family.  It has large, white to pale...

18 / 05 / 2015 | Malesolo Magoele | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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