World-famous garden plants from South Africa
We have included a few of the thousands of plants from South Africa which are now famous around the world
All photos copyright with Wikipedia Commons.
All photos copyright with Wikipedia Commons.
|
Agapanthus
Family: Agapanthaceae Common names: Cape agapanthus, fynbos agapanthus (Eng.); kleinbloulelei (Afr.) Agapanthus are one of South Africa's best known garden plants and are grown in most countries in the world. Their strap-like leaves and striking blue or white flowers make them favourites in plant borders as well as in containers. They are all easy to grow except for Agapanthus africanus and A. walshii. Distribution and habitat Agapanthus africanus subsp. africanus is found only in the Western Cape Province, which is a winter rainfall area. The plants grow from the Cape Peninsula to Swellendam, from sea level up to 1000 metres, mainly in mountainous terrain in acidic sandy soil. They often grow between rocks and even in depressions on sheets of sandstone rock. The plants will not tolerate freezing weather for any length of time. |
|
|
Amaryllis Family: Amaryllidaceae Common names: belladonna lily, March lily, naked lady (Eng.); Maartblom, Maartlelie, belladonnalelie (Afr.) The flowering stems of Amaryllis belladonna emerging from the bare ground is a sign that summer is coming to an end in the Cape of South Africa. Distribution and habitat Amaryllis belladonna grows in the South Western Cape. Derivation of name and historical aspects Amaryllis is Greek feminine and is named after a beautiful shepherdess. The specific epithet belladonna means beautiful lady. The appearance of the tall, flower stalk without any leaves accounts for the common name "naked lady". The family Amaryllidaceae forms a large group of over sixty genera, which are mainly centred in the southern Africa with smaller distributions in Andean South America. Other genera that belong to this family that have horticultural importance and are found in southern Africa include Clivia, Crinum, Cyrthanthus, Nerine and Scadoxus. Hippeastrum, which some gardeners mistakenly call amaryllis, is a large South American genus. Other northern hemisphere genera include Narcissus (daffodils) and Leucojum. |
|
|
Arctotis
Family: Asteraceae Common names: African daisy, Namaqua marigold (Eng.), Namakwagousblom (Afr.) Bold and beautiful, the mesmerizing Arctotis hirsuta is one of the most captivating species in an annual spring display. Distribution and habitat The Namakwagousblom is found on sandy slopes and flats, often along the coast, in the Western Cape from Elandsbaai to the Agulhas Plain. Derivation of name and historical aspects The genus name Arctotis is derived from Greek arktos, which means a bear, and otos an ear. This implies that the scales of the pappus (appendages of the fruit) look like the ears of a bear. The specific epithet, hirsuta, means hairy in Latin. This refers to the hairs present on the leaves and stem. Arctotis species are often referred to as African daisies. Some species were previously placed under Venidium. There are currently more than fifty species known from southern Africa to Angola. |
|
|
Arum lily
Family: Araceae Common names: White lily, African lily, common arum lily (English); wit varkoor (Afrikaans); intebe (Xhosa) ihlukwe (Zulu) Zantedeschia aethiopica is an old fashioned, but very rewarding garden plant. Although called the arum lily, Zantedeschia aethiopica is neither an arum (the genus Arum) nor a lily (genus Lilium). Distribution and habitat The genus Zantedeschia is restricted to the African continent with seven species recognised: Zantedeschia aethiopica, Z. albomaculata, Z. elliottiana,Z. jucunda, Z. odoratum, Z. pentlandii and Z. rehmannii. The common arum is found from the Western Cape through the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and into the Northern Province. It is evergreen or deciduous depending on the habitat and rainfall regime. In the Western Cape it is dormant in summer, and in the summer rainfall areas it is dormant in winter. It will remain evergreen in both areas if growing in marshy conditions which remain wet all year round. Derivation of name and historical aspects This lovely plant was introduced to Europe very early on, apparently before Van Riebeeck had established the refreshment station at the Cape. It is also illustrated in an account of the Royal Garden in Paris in 1664. It was sent as one of the interesting plants of the Cape to Europe by Simon van der Stel some time before 1697. Zantedeschia is named after Professor Zantedeschi, probably Giovanni Zantedeschi,1773-1846, an Italian physician and botanist, although there is some uncertainty about this. The name aethiopica is not directly related to Ethiopia. In classical times it meant south of the known world i.e. south of Egypt and Libya. Several southern African plants were given this specific epiphet early on. |
|
|
Black-eyed Susan (Kleinrooivalk) Falco naumanni
Family: Acanthaceae Common names: black-eyed Susan (Eng.); swartoognooi (Afr.) ; isiPhondo (Zulu) In much of the warmer world, Thunbergia alata, or black-eyed susan, is well known as a fast-growing, long-flowering, friendly creeper. In South Africa it is a general favourite as it is not fussy about soil, needs only moderate water, doesn't go rampant, is mostly evergreen and covers ugly places beautifully. It has even been honoured in the standard set of South African postage stamps. Distribution and habitat Black-eyed Susan is found from tropical Africa southwards through the eastern parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Swaziland to KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. Derivation of name and historical aspects Thunbergia, named in 1780 by Retzius, honours Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828), a Swedish botanist, doctor, explorer and author who was perhaps the greatest pupil of Linnaeus. Thunberg spent three years collecting at the Cape of Good Hope, finding about 300 new plant species. He was so keen a collector that, when Japan was closed to all Europeans except the Dutch, he joined the East India Company as a surgeon so he could collect there. Seed of Thunbergia alata, named by Bojer, a German botanist, was sent from Mauritius to England where it was first described by Sims in 1825. The species name is from the Latin alatus, meaning winged. It refers to the winged petioles but it could also allude to the seeds that have projections looking rather like wings. |
|
|
Clivia
Family: Amaryllidaceae Common names: yellow clivia, yellow bush lily (Eng.); geelboslelie (Afr.) Clivia miniata var. citrina is a horticulturally outstanding spring-flowering perennial, with a colourful history in cultivation. Grown worldwide for its striking cream-coloured or light to bright yellow umbels, it is a valuable, long-lived container and landscape subject for dappled shade. Distribution and habitat Clivia miniata var. citrina is known from northeastern Mpumalanga, northern Swaziland, northern, central, eastern and southern KwaZulu-Natal and the eastern part of the Eastern Cape. It occurs as sporadic individuals within populations of mainly orange or red-flowered specimens (var. miniata), never as populations of exclusively yellow-flowered plants. Its habitat is coastal and inland afromontane forest, in ravines, along shaded watercourses and on rock ledges on south-, southeast- or rarely west-facing slopes, in decomposed leaf litter, between sandstone boulders and on dolerite soils, from close to sea level to 1 500 m altitude. This variety is suited to cultivation in dappled shade in frost-free environments. Derivation of name and historical aspects The genus Clivia honours Lady Charlotte Florentia Clive, Duchess of Northumberland, in whose conservatory the first described member of the genus, C. nobilis, flowered in the late 1820s at Syon House, along the Thames, near Kew. The specific name miniata is descriptive of the flame-scarlet tepal colour of the typical colour forms. The earliest record of a yellow form of C. miniata from a known wild source, is that made in 1888 in a forest near Eshowe, in eastern KwaZulu-Natal. The resident commissioner of Zululand, Sir Melmoth Osborn, noticed it among firewood that had been collected by one of his staff, and he propagated it. Two plants were later obtained by his deputy, Sir Charles Saunders, who in turn sent one specimen to his artist mother Katharine Saunders some distance to the south, in Tongaat. |
|
|
Crocosmia paniculata
Family: Iridaceae Common names: Montbrecia, coppertips, Aunt Eliza, falling stars, zigzag crocosmia (Eng.); waaierlelie (Afr.); khala-ea-bokone, moloke (Sesotho); undwendwi, umlunge (Zulu) Crocosmia paniculata is a robust, deciduous geophyte with sculptural, zig-zag flower spikes and attractive, pleated leaves that make it a strong accent plant for mixed borders and rockeries in temperate gardens. Distribution and habitat Restricted to the eastern escarpment of southern Africa, from central KwaZulu-Natal through Lesotho and northeastern Free State to Mpumalanga and Swaziland, and into the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe; occurring in rough grassland, usually in moist situations along streams and drainage lines. It is suited to cultivation in temperate and subtropical climates with summer rainfall, and is frost tolerant in winter when dormant. Derivation of name and historical aspects Crocosmia from the Greek kronos, ‘crocus’, the source of commercial saffron, and osme, ‘scent’. The dried flowers produce an orange dye; paniculatus, from the botanical term for a branched inflorescence. Crocosmia paniculata is one of a small genus of 8 species of Iridaceae restricted to sub-Saharan Africa. DNA sequence analysis suggests that it is closely allied to Freesia. The genus is notable horticulturally for the many striking hybrids that have been produced, primarily using C. aurea, C. masoniorum and C. paniculata. These are popular among northern hemisphere gardeners for their stately form and flamboyant colouring. |
|
|
King Protea
Family: Proteaceae Common names: King Protea, King Sugar Bush (Engl); Grootsuikerkan (Afr). Protea cynaroides is the national flower of South Africa. The king protea flower is large when opened and can grow to about 12 inches in diameter. Flower petals are stiff and tapered, and are often light-colored on the bottom and then become pink or red nearer to the top. The flowers are prized for their beauty and are often used in flower arrangements. Distribution and habitat Protea cynaroides has one of the widest distribution ranges of all the Proteaceae and occurs from the Cedarberg in the northwest to Grahamstown in the east. It occurs on all mountain ranges in this area, except for the dry interior ranges, and at all elevations, from sea level to 1500 meters high. The combination of the different climatic conditions with the large range of localities has resulted in a large variety of leaf- and flower sizes, as well as flower colours and flowering times. The different forms retain these characteristics even when grown under the same conditions on a commercial scale. This has made it possible to grow Protea cynaroides as a cut flower for a wide variety of export markets, where the flowers are needed at different times of the year. Derivation of name and historical aspects Protea cynaroides is part of an ancient plant family, the Proteaceae, which had already divided into two subfamilies before the break-up of the Gondwanaland continent about 140 million years ago. Both subfamilies, the Proteoideae and the Grevilleoideae, occur mainly in the southern hemisphere. In southern Africa there are about 360 species, mainly from the subfamily Proteoideae, of which more than 330 species are confined to the Cape Foral Kingdom, between Nieuwoudtville in the northwest and Grahamstown in the east. Protea cynaroides belongs to the genus Protea, which has more than 92 species, subspecies and varieties. Other well-known genera of the Proteaceae are the Leucospermum with the brightly coloured "pincushion" flowers, Leucadendron with yellow or red-brown foliage and Serruria, of which the Serruria florida or "Blushing Bride" with its pale pink flowers is widely used in bridal bouquets. |
|
|
Mesembryanthemum
Family: Mesembryanthemaceae Common names: mesembs, fig marigold, midday flower, ice plant, Livingstone daisy (Eng.); vygie (Afr.) The Mesembryanthemaceae form a major and unique component of southern Africa's arid land flora. Succulent leaves, bright shiny-petalled flowers and hygrochastic fruit (capsules open when it rains) characterize the group. Mesembs are extremely diverse, particularly so in the Succulent Karoo Region, although they have a strong presence in the Fynbos. Some of the more primitive groups are almost entirely confined to Fynbos, suggesting that the Fynbos Biome may have acted as a mesic refuge for the semisucculent members of this group. Mesembs are the subjects of a huge trade in 'curiosity plants' among succulent collectors. They display features not seen elsewhere in the plant kingdom. The combination of minutism, mimicry and extreme succulence accounts for much of the variation in form and bizarre shapes that add to their appeal. Distribution and habitat Mesembs comprise 127 genera and about 1 700 species, and account for 63% of southern Africa's succulent flora, and almost 10% of South Africa's Flora. The family Mesembryanthemaceae is comparable in size to the New World Cactaceae, also an arid area specialist group. Mesembs occur mostly in the southwestern parts of the African continent, from ± 16° N in Angola down to the Western Cape Province, extending well into the east over the central plateau of South Africa and reaching into Zimbabwe and Botswana. They dominate vegetation in the Succulent Karoo Region. This winter rainfall desert constitutes the world's only arid biodiversity 'hotspot' of the 25 recognized globally. The family is almost entirely endemic to southern Africa with only about 20 species occurring naturally elsewhere. Derivation of name and historical aspects The original name given to mesembs was Mesembrianthemum this name was chosen to describe the opening of flowers at noon. The spelling was later changed to Mesembryanthemum. Historically, the group of plants generally referred to as Aizoaceae have enjoyed fluctuating status in various systematic treatments. Although mesembs are most often classified in Aizoaceae, many taxonomists, particularly in South African herbaria, prefer to treat them as a separate family, Mesembryanthemaceae. |
|
|
Pelargonium alchemilloides
Family: Geraniaceae Common names: lady’s mantle-leaved pelargonium, pink trailing pelargonium (Eng.); wildemalva, rankmalva (Afr.); inkubele (Xhosa); amanzemnyama, ishwaga, umangqengqe (Zulu); bolila-ba-lit-soene (Southern Sotho) The lady’s mantle-leaved pelargonium, has attractive leaves, and is highly adaptable, thriving in arid conditions and in areas of high rainfall. Pelargonium alchemilloides is a hardy, sprawling perennial herb of up to 300 mm long, with an underground tuber. Distribution and habitat Pelargonium alchemilloides is widespread in all provinces of South Africa, except the Northern Cape. It also occurs in Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. It grows in most lowland habitat in moist, loam and clayey soil, and is often found growing in disturbed areas. Derivation of name and historical aspects The genus Pelargonium is named from the Greek pelargos, meaning ‘a stork’, which refers to the seed that resembles the beak of a stork. The specific epithet alchemilloides, indicates the resemblance in looks and in use to plants in the genus Alchemilla, of the rose family, commonly known as lady’s mantle. There are about 270 species of Pelargonium, of which 220 species are found in southern Africa. |
|
|
Strelitzia Family: Strelitziaceae Common names: crane flower, bird of paradise, orange strelitzia (Eng.); isigude (Nguni); kraanvoëlblom (Afr.) Strelitzia reginae is one the most popular horticultural perennials around the world. It flowers for long periods with its vivid orange and bright purple/blue inflorences and is an ideal pot plant and cut flower subject. Distribution and habitat Strelitzia reginae occurs naturally only in South Africa along the eastern coast from Humansdorp to northern KwaZulu-Natal in coastal bush and thicket. It grows along river banks in full sun, however sometimes it occurs and flowers on margins of forest in shade. Derivation of name and historical aspects Stelitzia is named in honour of Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, from the house of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The specific epithet reginae is Latin and means 'of the queen'. S. reginae is one of five Strelitzia species in southern Africa. The other four are: S. alba, S. juncea, S. nicolai and S. caudata. Strelizia reginae subsp. mzimvubuensis is another subspecies of S.reginae. Strelitiz reginae ''Mandela's Gold' is a form with yellow flowers. |
|
