Plants of the Week

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E.g., 08/10/2024
E.g., 08/10/2024

Erica peziza

Erica peziza (Andrewm iSpot)
Common names: woollysnow heath, velvet bell heath, white heath (Eng.); kapokkie (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

A beautiful fynbos shrub that turns snowy white when it flowers in spring....

28 / 12 / 2015 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ficus polita subsp. polita

Ficus polita
Common names: heart-leaved fig, wild rubber fig, wild rubber tree (Eng.); hartblaarvy, wilderubbervy, rubberplant (Afr.); umkhiwane (siSwati.); umkhiwane, umphumel
Family: Moraceae

Next time you attend one of Kirstenbosch’s summer sunset concerts, see if you can spot the Afrotropical Ficus polita subsp. polita, growing on the...

21 / 12 / 2015 | Hannelie Snyman | Compton Herbarium
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Searsia lucida

Searsia lucida (Brian KD)
Common names: glossy crowberry, glossy currant, glossy wild currant (Eng.); blinktaaibos, slaptaaibos (Afr.); intlokolotshane-ebomvu, umchane, amapozi (isiXhosa); i
Family: Anacardiaceae

A versatile shrub or small tree, with attractive shiny leaves and creamy white flowers, which are followed by green fruits that ripen to red-brown and...

21 / 12 / 2015 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Crassula sarcocaulis

Crassula sarcocaulis (Nick Helme)
Common names: bonsai crassula (Eng.); serelilenyane (S.Sotho); umadinsane (isiZulu)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula sarcocaulis is one of the few plants that has a tree-like form, in miniature. It’s also a tough, water-wise, drought- and cold-tolerant...

14 / 12 / 2015 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG
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Watsonia tabularis

Watsonia tabularis, pink
Common names: Table Mountain watsonia (Eng.); suurkanol, kanolpypie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Watsonia tabularis has showy summer flowers, attracts Sunbirds and Sugarbirds and is well suited to fynbos gardens....

14 / 12 / 2015 | Alice Notten | 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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Serruria decipiens

Serruria decipiens
Common names: sandveld spiderhead
Family: Proteaceae

The Sandveld spiderhead is a small rounded fynbos shrub with clusters of sweetly scented, creamy white flowers in spring; it is well suited to fynbos gardens...

07 / 12 / 2015 | Zitobile Sikova | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gymnosporia buxifolia

Gymnosporia buxifolia
Common names: spikethorn, common spikethorn, stinking spike-thorn (Eng.); gewone pendoring, pendoring, stinkdoring, lemoendoring (Afr.); ingqwangane, ubangalala, us
Family: Celastraceae

Gymnosporia buxifolia is a very showy plant when in flower and can grow into an interesting and shapely small tree over time. It can be pruned to form...

30 / 11 / 2015 | Sameer Khan | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Sterculia alexandri

Sterculia alexandri
Common names: Cape star-chestnut (Eng.); Kaapsesterkastaiing (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

Sterculia alexandri is a medium-sized, thickset tree with compound leaves and yellow flowers. It is endemic to the Eastern Cape, west of Port Elizabeth,...

30 / 11 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Triumfetta annua

Triumfetta annua. Photo: Geoff Nichols
Common names: bur weed, lesser cockle bur, annual triumfetta (Eng.); klitsbossie (Afr.); umhlabangubo (isiXhosa)
Family: Malvaceae

...

23 / 11 / 2015 | Nonkululo Phephu | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Nerine bowdenii

Nerine bowdenii subsp. bowdenii from southern KwaZulu-Natal
Common names: large pink nerine (Eng.); grootpienknerina (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Nerine bowdenii is an autumn-flowering geophyte with impressive, large, pink or rarely pure white blooms, carried on long sturdy stems. It is the most...

23 / 11 / 2015 | Graham Duncan | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Diastella fraterna

Diastella fraterna
Common names: Palmiet silkypuff
Family: Proteaceae

The Palmiet silkypuff is a decorative shrublet with a sprinkling of pretty puffy white flowers almost all year round....

16 / 11 / 2015 | Nosiphelele Patricia Mapukata | Harold Porter NBG
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Senecio littoreus

Senecio littoreus
Common names: coast senecio (Eng.), geelhongerblom (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Senecio littoreus is a small, but tough, erect annual, well suited to extreme coastal conditions....

16 / 11 / 2015 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Selago tarachodes

Selago tarachodes Peter R. Warren
Common names: trouble selago
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Selago tarachodes is a neat, compact, herbaceous perennial, with shiny green leaves and masses of showy, white, flower-heads, that flowers throughout the...

09 / 11 / 2015 | Zama Sibisi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Eumorphia prostrata

Eumorphia prostrata
Common names: silver cloud
Family: Asteraceae

...

09 / 11 / 2015 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ledebouria petiolata

Ledebouria petiolata
Common names: leopard lily, little white soldiers, small snake lily (Eng.), injobo, ucibicibane (isiZulu)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This wonderful, attractive, small but hardy bulb, previously known as Drimiopsis maculata, is tolerant of neglect and fairly easy to grow, has purple,...

02 / 11 / 2015 | Jermaine Christoffels | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Faurea galpinii

Faurea galpinii, seedhead
Common names: forest beechwood, escarpment beechwood, bush-beech, forest-beech (Eng.); bosboekenhout, platorandboekenhout, rooiboekenhout (Afr.); sisefo (siSwati);
Family: Proteaceae

The forest beechwood is a small, evergreen tree which can at times occur as a shrub. This species is confined to high-altitude mist-belt areas in mountainous...

02 / 11 / 2015 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Aloe petricola

Aloe petricola in habitat
Common names: rock aloe (Eng.); rotsaalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

The rock aloe, true to its name, is perfect for rocky areas in the garden, producing beautiful bicoloured flowers that will attract nectar-feeding birds...

26 / 10 / 2015 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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Ottosonderia monticola

Ottosonderia monticola fruits
Common names: crossvygie (Eng.), kruisvygie, granietvygie, bergvingertjies (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Ottosonderia monticola is a dwarf, tufted mesemb, with ascending flowering branches above the leaf canopy. The flowering branch remains active for more...

26 / 10 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe aculeata

Aloe aculeata
Common names: prickly aloe (Eng.); ngopane, sekope (Sepedi)
Family: Asphodelaceae

You will do well to give this attractive aloe with its yellow to reddish orange flowers, which used to have place of pride on our old 10 cent nickel coin,...

19 / 10 / 2015 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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