Plants of the Week

Browse through all previous entries of Plants Of The Week

  • Sort by date added
  • Sort Alphabetically
Go to Plants of the Week Advanced Search
E.g., 09/10/2024
E.g., 09/10/2024

Sparaxis auriculata

Sparaxis auriculata
Common names: Matsikamma sparaxis, ear satinflower (Eng.), fluweelblom, fluweeltjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

A flowering bulbous plant with large, bright mauve and yellow, two-lipped flowers with six petals. It is a local endemic from the Matsikamma Mountains...

27 / 11 / 2023 | Sisipho Mqungguthu | Karoo Desert NBG
Read More

Sparaxis elegans

Sparaxis elegans
Common names: Cape buttercup, sparaxis, pale harlequin flower (Eng.); spogfluweeltjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Sparaxis elegans is, as its name suggests, one of the most elegant and aesthetically pleasing species the Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) has to...

09 / 06 / 2014 | Brittany Arendse | CREW
Read More

Sparaxis grandiflora subsp. grandiflora

Flower showing vertical anthers and style  to one side
Common names: Cape buttercup, sparaxis (Eng.); botterblom, ferweel, ferweeltjie, fluweeltjie, perskalkoentjie, perskalossie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Sparaxis grandiflora is indeed an attractive species and it is not surprising that it was introduced to Kew Gardens as early as 1758. However, as Du Plessis...

14 / 08 / 2006 | Caitlin Von Witt | CREW
Read More

Sparaxis maculosa

In flower
Common names: Cape buttercup, sparaxis, wandflower (Eng.); botterblom, ferweel, ferweeltjie, fluweeltjie, geelkalkoentjie, geelkalossie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Known from only two localities, one recently discovered, this spectacularly large-flowered species is sadly frail in its magnificence, a shadow cast upon...

17 / 03 / 2008 | Caitlin Von Witt | CREW
Read More

Sparrmannia africana

Flowers
Common names: Cape stock rose, wild stock rose, African hemp, Cape hollyhock (Eng.); Kaapse stokroos, wildestokroos (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

Sparrmannia africana is an easy-to-grow large shrub for a shady area with lush, soft, heart-shaped leaves and pretty white flowers with a puff of...

08 / 04 / 2013 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Spatalla mollis

Flower spike
Common names: woolly spoon
Family: Proteaceae

Spatalla mollis boasts attractive flower headlets of white or mauve flowers from July to December. The small shrubs blend in well with the surrounding...

29 / 10 / 2012 | Benjamin Festus | Harold Porter NBG
Read More

Sphagnum

Sphagnum fimbriatum
Common names: peat moss, bog moss, turf moss
Family: Sphagnaceae

Sphagnum is a cosmopolitan as well as economically and ecologically important genus of mosses. ...

23 / 03 / 2009 | Nonkululo Phephu | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Sphenostylis angustifolia

Sphenostylis angustifolia showing handedness
Common names: wild sweet-pea (Eng.); wilde-ertjie (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

Sphenostylis angustifolia, or the wild sweet-pea, is a lovely green perennial shrublet with an extensive woody rootstock that decorates the Highveld with...

01 / 12 / 2008 | Alicia Grobler | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Spiloxene

Spiloxene capensis.  Photo C. Paterson-Jones
Common names: golden star (Eng.); sterretjie (Afr.)
Family: Hypoxidaceae

...

24 / 09 / 2007 | D Snijman | Compton Herbarium
Read More

Spirostachys africana

Fruits of the tamboti.Photo: G Nichols
Common names: tamboti (Eng.); tambotie (Afr.); umThombothi (Zulu); Modiba (Northern Sotho); umThombotsi (siSwati); Ndzopfori (Tsonga); Morukuru (Tswana); Muonze (ts
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Renowned for its beautiful wood, Spirostachys africana is a medium-sized, semi-deciduous tree with a round crown which occurs in low altitude bushveld,...

04 / 10 / 2004 | Avhurengwi Phillemon Ndou | Walter Sisulu NBG
Read More

Sporobolus africanus

Sporobolus africanus
Common names: rat’s tail dropseed, rat’s tail grass, rush grass, tough dropseed (Eng.); fynsaadgras, saadgras, taaipol, vleigras, rotstert, taaipolfynsaadgras (
Family: Poaceae

Sporobolus africanus is a tough, palatable, perennial grass with a low leaf production. It is a good indicator of disturbed veld....

24 / 06 / 2019 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Staavia radiata

Staavia radiata
Common names: mini diamond eyes (Eng.); altydbos, altydbossie, glasogies (Afr.)
Family: Bruniaceae

A daisy-like fynbos shrub and a favourite in horticulture, with a good reputation, as it responds well to being trimmed and maintained, once propagated....

24 / 05 / 2021 | Siqamo Yeko | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Staberoha cernua

Staberoha cernua, female plant. (Photo Felix Riegel)
Common names: droopy tasselreed
Family: Restionaceae

An attractive, small, tufted restio, with brown-tan seed heads that is ideal for fynbos gardens. ...

03 / 08 / 2020 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Stachys aethiopica

Stachys aethiopica
Common names: African stachys, wild sage (Eng.); katbossie, katpisbossie (Afr.);bokhatha, bolae-ba-litaola, likhobe-tsa-balisana (SSo.)
Family: Lamiaceae

Stachys aethiopica is a vigorous and versatile spring-flowering groundcover, suitable for sun to shade areas....

12 / 02 / 2018 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Stachys rugosa

Stachys rugosa (Adam Harrower)
Common names: grey tea stachys (Eng.); vaaltee, bojanntee, boesmantee, dassiekruie (Afr.); taraputsoe (SSo.)
Family: Lamiaceae

Spring flowering Stachys rugosa is a water-wise, ornamental, herbaceous perennial, with felted leaves that have a pungent aroma of pyrethrum or sheep dip,...

19 / 02 / 2018 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Stachys tubulosa

Stachys tubulosa
Common names: mauve sage, mauve stachys
Family: Lamiaceae

Best grown in shady conditions, Stachys tubulosa is an attractive, evergreen and hardy plant that displays its tubular mauve flowers during the summer...

06 / 06 / 2016 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Stadmania oppositifolia subsp. rhodesica

Stadmania oppositifolia supsp. rhodesica
Common names: silky-plum (Eng.); sypruim (Afr.)
Family: Sapindaceae

An awesome small tree with the most attractive flowers and fruits....

27 / 04 / 2020 | Sephatle Evans Molekoa | Lowveld NBG
Read More

Stangeria eriopus

Growing in Kirstenbosch
Common names: Stanger`s cycad, Natal grass cycad (Eng.); bobbejaankos (Afr.); Imfingo (Zulu); Umfingwani (Xhosa)
Family: Zamiaceae

Stangeria eriopus, not often seen in cultivation, develops into a most attractive perennial with large fern-like leaves, which is why it is often mistaken...

13 / 11 / 2006 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG
Read More

Stapelia

Stapelia gigantea
Common names: carrion flower (Eng.); aasblom (Afr.)
Family: Apocynaceae

Known globally as African starfish flowers, and locally as carrion flowers, members of the genus Stapelia are usually characterised by their...

27 / 11 / 2006 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More

Stapelia gigantea

Flowering plant of Stapelia gigantea in habitat. (Photo Cameron McMaster)
Common names: giant stapelia, giant carrion flower, carrion flower (Eng.); reuseaasblom, aasblom, duikershoring, haasoor (Afr.); ililo elikhulu, isihlehle, uzililo
Family: Apocynaceae

Stapelia gigantea has the largest flowers (up to 40 cm across) of any plant in our region and is one of the easiest stapeliads to grow. Plants are widely...

12 / 04 / 2021 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
Read More