Plants of the Week

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E.g., 12/10/2024
E.g., 12/10/2024

Vachellia kosiensis

Vachellia kosiensis (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: dune thorn (Eng.); duinesoetdoring (Afr.); umunga (Zulu)
Family: Fabaceae

This is a quick-growing, handsome tree that attracts many birds, bees and other insects and even bushbabies to the garden; it is also a useful barrier...

21 / 11 / 2016 | Geoff Nichols | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Vachellia karroo

Flowers of Vachellia karroo
Common names: sweet thorn (English); soetdoring (Afrikaans); mookana (North Sotho); mooka (Tswana); umuNga (Zulu) (Xhosa)
Family: Fabaceae

Known for many years as Acacia karroo, this is one of South Africa's most beautiful and useful trees. It is integrally part of our country's history...

01 / 01 / 2002 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Vachellia hebeclada subsp. hebeclada

Vachellia hebeclada foliage
Common names: candle thorn (Eng.); trassiebos (Afr.); mohae (S. Sotho)
Family: Fabaceae

This beautiful shrub to small tree is the most common naturally occurring vachellia in the Free State National Botanical Garden. It may reach up to 7 m...

19 / 04 / 2010 | Stemmer Ngalo | Free State NBG
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Vachellia erioloba

Vachellia erioloba
Common names: camel thorn (Eng.); kameeldoring (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

The beautiful, slow-growing camel thorn grows well in poor soils and in harsh environmental conditions. It is an ideal shrub/tree for a small or large...

26 / 12 / 2005 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Vaccinium exul

Vaccinium exul fruiting branch (M.Lötter)
Common names: African blueberry, African cranberry (Eng.); Afrika-bloubessie, bosbessiebos (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

In southern Africa the heath family (Ericaceae) is represented by only two indigenous genera: Erica which is extremely speciose, containing ± 770...

28 / 12 / 2015 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Uvaria caffra

Uvaria caffra
Common names: small-fruited cluster-pear, small cluster pear, (Eng.), kleinvrugtrospeer, kleintrospeer (Afr.), idwaba (isiXhosa), inkonjane, umazwenda omnyama, umaz
Family: Annonaceae

...

29 / 01 / 2024 | Umpha Pharamela | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Ursinia speciosa

Ursinia speciosa
Common names: Namaqua-ursinia (Eng.); Namakwa-ursinia (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Ursinia speciosa will brighten up any garden during late winter or early spring with its showy orange or yellow flowers....

26 / 09 / 2011 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ursinia sericea

Plant in flower
Common names: silver lace-leaf ursinia (Eng.); geelmagriet (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Ursinia sericea is an attractive, easy-to-grow perennial, adding texture and silver highlights to the garden....

05 / 11 / 2007 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ursinia paleacea

Ursinia paleacea in habitat, visited by a monkey beetle.
Common names: long-stalk parachute daisy (Eng.); geelmagriet (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This cheerful and resilient perennial is a must for any fynbos garden!...

15 / 10 / 2018 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ursinia nana

Ursinia nana
Common names: small ursinia, yellow margaret (Eng.); kleinbergmargriet, geelmagriet (Afr.); sehalikane (SS)
Family: Asteraceae

An attractive, spreading, annual herb with yellow flowers, which blooms in the spring to early summer period. With its spreading habit and fine foliage,...

12 / 06 / 2017 | Ramadimetja Junia Maleka | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ursinia chrysanthemoides var. geyeri

Ursinia chrysanthemoides var. geyeri in bloom
Common names: coral ursinia, crimson ursinia
Family: Asteraceae

Once thought to be extinct, Ursinia chrysanthemoides var. geyeri, the crimson-flowered herbaceous daisy has found its way back into cultivation....

28 / 07 / 2008 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ursinia chrysanthemoides

Ursinia chrysanthemoides
Common names: parachute daisy, coral ursinia (Eng.); pokkiesbos, bergmagriet (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A showy upright or mat-forming spring flowering perennial with daisy flowers in various colours....

07 / 12 / 2015 | Anthony R. Magee | Compton Herbarium
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Ursinia calenduliflora

Plant in flower. Image Wikicommons
Common names: Namaqua parachute daisy, Springbok rock-ursinia; bergmagriet, berggousblom (Afrikaans).
Family: Asteraceae

...

19 / 01 / 2015 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ursinia cakilefolia

Ursinia cakilefolia
Common names: Glansoogbergmagriet, Glossy-eyed parachute daisy
Family: Asteraceae

Bright and cheerful, the annual ursinias are some of the easiest plants to grow for spring colour. ...

15 / 10 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ursinia anthemoides subsp. anthemoides

Flowers and foliage
Common names: mountain marigold ( Eng. ); bergmagriet, ringmagriet (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Ursinia anthemoides, with its bright yellow flowers, catches the eye wherever it is planted. In spring the plants make a mass display, especially in Niewoudtville...

11 / 12 / 2006 | N Swelankomo | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Ursinia abrotanifolia

Ursinia abrotanifolia flower heads
Common names: lace-leaf ursinia (Eng.); fynkruie, lammetjieskruie (Afr.) [= Sphenogyne abrotanifolia R.Br.(Prassler 1967)]
Family: Asteraceae

An extremely easy-to-grow and showy summer display bedding plant with charm and versatility underutilized by home gardeners....

22 / 03 / 2010 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Urochloa mosambicensis

Urochloa mosambicensis
Common names: bushveld signal grass, white buffalo grass, herringbone grass (Eng.); bosveldbeesgras, witbuffelsgras (Afr.)
Family: Poaceae

Urochloa mosambicensis is a perennial grass with an inflorescence made up of a number of spike-like racemes arranged alternately on a central axis. It...

04 / 10 / 2010 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Umtiza listeriana

Umtiza listeriana (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: umtiza (Eng.); umtiza, omtisa (Afr.); umtiza (Xho.)
Family: Fabaceae

A genus of one species in the legume family, found in a small area of the Eastern Cape; a spiny tree with prominent glossy, dark green foliage, and a perfect...

25 / 12 / 2017 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Typha capensis

Typha capensis
Common names: bulrush ( Eng.); papkuil, matjiesriet (Afr.); ibhuma (Zulu, Swazi); ingcongolo (Xhosa); motsitla (Sesotho)
Family: Typhaceae

Typha capensis is synonymous with most large as well as small freshwater bodies. These perennial, leafy aquatic plants with their distinctive velvety-brown...

27 / 08 / 2007 | Werner Voigt | Harold Porter NBG
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Tylosema esculentum

Tylosema esculentum
Common names: gemsbok bean, marama bean, camel’s foot (Eng.); braaiboontjie, gemsbokboontjie, kastaingboontjie (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

Tylosema esculentum is a long-lived, underutilized, drought-tolerant, perennial legume that grows wild on the arid and semi-arid grasslands of southern...

28 / 02 / 2022 | Thembeka Malwane | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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