Plant of the Month – May 2018

        Aloe suprafoliata Aloe suprafoliata (Pole-Evans 1916) (Book Aloe, Mustache Aloe, Boekaalwyn) Aloe suprafoliata is a stemless or short-stemmed Aloe, unique in that its growth habit changes as it ages. For a long period of time during this plants juvenile phase the leaves of the plant are

Plant of the Month – Apr 2018

Faucaria tigrina Faucaria tigrina (Haworth 1789) (Tiger Jaws, Shark Jaws, Tierbekvygie) The first documented discovery of Faucaria tigrina was during an expedition in 1789 by Francis Masson, who was sent to the Cape by the King of England to collect plants for Kew Royal Botanical Gardens. The specimens of F.

Plant of the Month – Mar 2018

Euphorbia gamkensis (Marx 1999) Calitzdorp Euphorbia Our own Calitzdorp Euphorbia. Euphorbis gamkensis grows a large, more or less cylindrical underground caudex that may exceed 6 cm in diameter. Above-ground, a few rows of outwardly pointing thick, succulent stems grow on the often flat green top of the caudex. The outer

Plant of the Month – Feb 2018

Portulacaria afra (Jacquin 1786) Spekboom (Pork Bush) Elephant’s food, isiCococo (Zulu) iGqwanitsha (Xhoza) This plant is very popular among succulent collectors and growers, worldwide and is often used for bonsai. It has now been shown to be effective in carbon sequestration (binding atmospheric carbon which is responsible for climate change),

Plant of the Month – Jan 2018

Tylecodon cacalioides (Tolken 1978) (Krismisnenta, Krimpsiektebos) This plant is flowering profusely as this article is being written. We are just not used to seeing such beautiful, intensely colored flowers on succulent plants during the summer months. If you are driving between Oudtshoorn and George in the month of January, you

Plant of the Month – Dec 2017

Delosperma calitzdorpense L. Bolus 1950 If the name strikes a familiar tone, it is because this plant is known to occur near our town of Calitzdorp. We found a large number of them in the veld near Jakkalskop on our explorations with Priscilla Burgoyne in preparation for the Discovering Mesembs

Plant of the Month – Nov 2017

Stapelia hirsuta Stapelia hirsuta Linnaeus 1753 (AKA: star flower, carrion flower, aasblom)         Known globally as African starfish flowers, and locally as carrion flowers, members of the genus Stapelia are usually characterised by their foul-smelling flowers reminiscent of the odour of rotting meat. The hairs, coloration and

Plant of the Month – Oct 2017

Glottiphyllu regium Glottiphyllum regium N.E. Brown 1928 (AKA: Koeispene) Glottiphyllum regium is a clump-forming succulent and can attain a height of 13 cm and a width of 15 cm. It has a semi-fibrous, shallow root system typical of some succulents. The roots are not destructive and plants can be planted

Plant of the Month – Sept 2017

Mesembryanthemum tortuosum (Sceletium tortuosum) (Linneaus 1753) AKA: Kanna, Kougoed One of the oldest mesembs known to the western world. It became known to the early colonizers of the Cape in the 17th century and has been cultivated in England since 1732. The Khoisan people of South Africa, who use the

Plant of the Month – Aug 2017

Aloe microstigma (Salm-Dyck 1854) AKA: Karoo-aalwyn Is one of the most wide spread aloes in southern Africa, occurring from Ceres to the Eastern Cape and north with some botanists insisting that it occurs in southern Namibia as well. We know it as our local aloe growing on short stems up