Plants of the Week

Vaccinium exul

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

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

Vachellia hebeclada subsp. hebeclada

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

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

Vachellia kosiensis

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

Vachellia nilotica subsp. kraussiana

Common names: scented-pod acacia ( Eng. ); lekkerruikpeul (Afr.); Mogohlo (Northern Sotho); isiThwetwe, umNcawe (Siswati); Motsha (Tshwana); umNqawe (Zulu) African

Family: Fabaceae

If you were a game or stock farmer with browsers on your property, this lovely Vachellia species would be an asset to you. Please just remember the...

21 / 02 / 2005 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG

Vachellia robusta subsp. robusta

Common names: broadpod robust thorn (Eng.); enkeldoring (Afr.); mooka (Nso.); mvumbangwenya (Tso.); mokhu (Tsw.); muvumba-ngwena (Ven.);umngamanzi (Zul.)

Family: Fabaceae

This is a small to medium, upright, deciduous thorn tree consisting of a narrow crown. The narrow upright growth and majestic stature, makes it one of...

14 / 09 / 2015 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Vachellia sekhukhuniensis

Common names: Sekhukhune thorn (Eng.), moletla (Sepedi)

Family: Fabaceae

Having the largest leaflets, that distinguishes it from all the vachellias, the Sekhukhune thorn is only known to occur in a small location in Sekhukhuneland...

25 / 03 / 2024 | Ntsakisi Masia | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Vachellia sieberiana var. woodii

Common names: paperbark thorn (Eng.); papierbasdoring (Afr.); Mphoka (North Sotho); umNganduzi (Siswati); Mokha, Morumosetlha (Tswana); Musaunga (Venda); umKhamba (

Family: Fabaceae

Pure stands of these beautifully shaped trees with their perfectly flattened crowns are quite stunning. Where else but in Africa would you encounter such...

03 / 11 / 2003 | Pitta Joffe | Pretoria NBG

Vachellia tortilis

Common names: Umbrella thorn (Eng.); haak-en-steek (Afr.); mosu (Tswana)

Family: Fabaceae

A drought-resistant tree with the classic, umbrella-shaped canopy associated with thorn trees. Many bird species take advantage of the protection it offers...

16 / 07 / 2012 | Tshilidzi Netshisaulu | Free State NBG

Vachellia xanthophloea

Common names: Fever tree (English), Koorsboom (Afrikaans), mooka-kwena (Northern Sotho), umHlosinga (Zulu), nkelenga (Tsonga), munzhelenga (Venda).

Family: Fabaceae

The fever tree is an attractive, semi-deciduous to deciduous tree approximately 15 to 25 meters tall and has an open, rounded to spreading or flattish...

01 / 04 / 2002 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Vangueria esculenta

Common names: Chirinda wild-medlar, forest wild-medlar, (Eng.); Chirinda-wildemispel, bosmispel, blinkblaarmispel (Afr.); mobilo (Lobedu)

Family: Rubiaceae

Vangueria esculenta is an ideal tree or shrub for smaller gardens, with glossy foliage and an interesting shape, and its flowers release a pleasant sweet...

18 / 07 / 2016 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Vangueria infausta

Common names: wild medlar (Eng.); wilde mispel (Afr.); mpfilwa (Tsonga & Shangaan); mmilo (Northern Sotho); muzwilu, mavelo (Venda); umviyo, umtulwa (Zulu); umv

Family: Rubiaceae

This species is one of South Africa's more popular veld fruits, and can be enjoyed while walking. This lovely little tree is considered to possess...

01 / 03 / 2004 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG

Veltheimia bracteata

Common names: forest lily, forest sand-lily, winter red hot poker (Eng.); sandui, sandlelie (Afr.)

Family: Hyacinthaceae

Veltheimia bracteata is a beautiful deciduous bulb with a moderate to fast growth rate. The inflorescence is a dense raceme of tubular flowers carried...

27 / 08 / 2001 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

Veltheimia capensis

Common names: quarobe, sand lily (Eng.); kwarobe, sandlelie (Afr.)

Family: Hyacinthaceae

Veltheimia capensis is an autumn- and winter-flowering bulb with striking rosettes of wavy or curled, grey-blue leaves and pendent, pink-speckled flowers....

30 / 07 / 2018 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Vepris carringtoniana

Common names: winged white-ironwood; coastal white-ironwood (Eng.); vlerksteelwitysterhout, kuswitysterhout (Afr.), umozane (isiZulu)

Family: Rutaceae

The winged white-ironwood is a truly beautiful tree that varies greatly in height, depending on climate and rainfall. Its leaves are densely covered with...

24 / 08 / 2015 | Aluwani Tshiila | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium