INDIGENOUS SHRUBS AND PLANTS FOR GARDENS AT BATELEUR.
Buddleja saligna. False Olive. Witolien. S.A. No.636
Evergreen shrub or small tree which can be pruned into a good hedge/screen plant, with a nonaggressive root system.
Cream coloured clusters of flowers from August to November ,producing copious nectar which
Attracts bees and butterflies.
Fast growing, up to 800mm per annum and very drought resistant.
Can be planted in full sun.
Halleria lucida. Tree Fuchia. Notsung. S.A. No. 670.
Evergreen shrub or small tree which can be pruned into a good hedge/screen plant, with a nonaggressive root system.
Funnel shaped orange to red flowers from April to December with black fleshy fruits from June to
February.
The flowers attract sunbirds and bees and the fruit attracts purple crested louries, kurrichane
thrushes, bulbuls, robins and white eyes.
The leaves are also browsed by grey duiker.
Fast Growing, up to 1m per annum.
Can be planted in full sun.
Diospyros whyteana. Bladder-nut. Swartbas. S.A. No.611
Evergreen shrub or small tree which can be pruned into a neat bush, with a non-aggressive root
system.
Male & female flowers are borne on different shrubs and are white to creamy-yellow from July to
November, Fruit is a roundish fleshy berry which attract rameron pigeons, green pigeons, louries,
barbets and bulbuls.
Fast Growing up to 500 – 800mm per annum.
Can be planted in full sun.
Tecomaria capensis. Cape Honeysuckle. Kaapse kanferfoelie. S.A. No. 673.1
Evergreen shrub which takes well to pruning, with a non-aggressive root system.
Orange, yellow, red & salmon pink flowers are borne from June to November. Fruit is a narrow, flat,
pod-like capsule which forms from October to February
The flowers attract a large number of sunbirds and the larvae of the common pea blu, Leptotes
pirithous and Barker’s smokey blue Euchrysops barkeri, butterflies.
Fast growing, up to 1 m per annum.
Can be planted in full sun.
Buddleja salvifolia. Sagewood. Saliehout. S.A. No. 637
Semi-deciduous to evergreen shrub which reacts well to pruning after flowering. It has an aggressive
root system.
Large sprays of white to purple flowers from August to October, Fruits are insignificant. The shrub is
browsed by bushbuck, impala and grey duiker. The flowers attract bees, with their copious amounts
of nectar. The flowers also attract at least 15 species of butterflies and it is a host plant to the African
leopard butterfly Phalantana phalantana aethiopica.
Sagewood is a valuable plant for stabilizing embankments along dams, furrows, streams and rivers.
The fine but strong roots which are able to grow even in flowing water, together with the habit of
sending out strong shoots after a veld fire and its adaptability to soil and climatic conditions, make
this an ideal plant for this purpose.
Fast growth rate of up to 600-800mm per annum.
Can be planted in full sun.
Buddleja auriculata. Weeping Sage. Treursalie . S.A. No. 636.5
Small evergreen shrub which reacts well to pruning after flowering. It has a non-aggressive root
system.
Sweet scented, cream to yellow flowers, with an orange throat are borne from July to September
and attracts many species of butterflies as well as sunbirds and white eyes.
Fast growth rate of up to 500mm per annum
Can be planted in full sun.
Phyllanthus reticulatus. Potato Bush. Aartappelbos. S.A. No. 311.
Multi-stemmed, semi-deciduous shrub, occurring in Bushveld areas. It has a non-aggressive root
system. It should be pruned back regularly to encourage bushy growth,
Flowers are very small, yellowish to pinkish red, throughout the year. The fruits are black berry like,
when ripe and attract White eyes, bulbuls, barbets and sunbirds.
The plants emit a strong scent of potatoes during certain times of the year, particularly on Spring and
Summer evenings.
Browsed by bushbuck, impala, nyala and grey duiker.
The growth rate is fairly fast and can be planted in full sun.
Barleria obtusa. Bush violet. Bosviooltjie.
Small, evergreen shrub which grows to 1m x 1m, which reacts well to pruning and makes a very neat
low hedge plant.
Flowers are deep blue in colour and attract butterflies and sunbirds.
Can be planted in full sun or semi-shade.
Barleria albostellata.
Evergreen Shrub with grey/green leaves which grows up to 2 m.
White flowers borne from late Summer to Autumn. Butterflies are attracted to the flowers and the
larvae feed on the leaves.
Can be planted in full sun and sandy soils.
Metarungia longistrobus. Sugarbird bush.
Evergreen shrub which grows up to 2 – 3 m. It has a non-aggressive root system.
Flowers are borne from March to May and are yellow in colour and attract sunbirds.
Can be planted in full sun.
Tetradenia riparia (Iboza riparia). Ginger Bush. Wildesalie/Watersalie
Semi-deciduous/ semi-succulent shrub which grows up to 2m, which needs to be pruned back well
After flowering. It has a non-aggressive root system. It grows at low to medium altitudes, habitat
varying from rocky outcrops to the banks of streams.
White to mauve sprays of flowers are borne from June to August and attracts bees and butterflies.
Can be planted in full sun.
Kniphofia linearifolia. Red - hot Poker. Vuurpyl.
Grass like leaves, clump forming plant which grows up to 60cm, which grows in grasslands and
marshes. Hardy and drought resistant.
Flowers vary from orange to red and are borne from late Summer to early Autumn, attracting a
variety of sunbirds.
Needs full sun.
Aloe barbertoniae. Barberton Aloe. Barbertonse Aalwyn.
A stemless Aloe which grows to about 1m in the Tzaneen, Nelspruit and Barberton areas, in open
grassland and on rocky outcrops.
Flowers are a coral-pink colour, borne from June to August, attracting a variety of sunbirds.
Drought resistant and requires full sun.
Aloe marlothii. Mountain Aloe. Bergaalwyn
A stemmed Aloe which can grow from 2 – 6 m in height, in rocky or sandy soils.
The flowers are yellow to orange and are borne from June to August, attracting a variety of sunbirds.
Drought resistant and requires full sun.
Aloe petricola. Rock Aloe. Rotsaalwyn.
A stemless Aloe which grows up to 1m in rocky areas.
Flowers are bi-coloured, greenish white to red. yellow or orange and are borne from July to August,
Attracting a variety of sunbirds.
Drought resistant and requires full sun.
Leonotis ocymifolia. Wild Dagga,(Lion’s ear) Wildedagga.
A robust shrub which grows up to 2m in height and forms colonies in grasslands and rocky outcrops.
Flowers are a brilliant orange colour, borne from January to May. The flowers contain abundant
nectar, which attracts a variety of sunbirds.
Drought resistant and requires full sun.
Crocosmia aurea. Falling stars. Waaierlelie.
Clump forming plant with broad grass-like leaves, up to 70cm when in bloom.
Bright Orange flowers are borne during January to February. The shiny purplish-black seeds are
relished by birds.
Can be planted in full sun or semi-shade.
Watsonia transvaalensis.
Watsonias have strap like leaves and grows up to 1m. Found abundantly in open grasslands.
The corms of these plants, multiply and are easily propagated.
Flowers are pink and are borne in Late Summer to Early Autumn.
Fairly drought resistant and require full sun.
Watsonia watsonioides.
As above in growth form and habitat.
Flowers are white borne in late Summer to early Autumn.
Zantedeschia aethiopica. Arum Lily. Aronskelk.
Soft textured plant which grows up to 1,5m in height, in moist sunny areas.
Flowers are white spathes with a yellow spadix and are borne from October to December.
Adenium multiflorum. Impala Lily. Impalalelie.
Striking succulent shrub which grows up to 2m in height. Grows in sandy or rocky woodland or in
open grassland, in hot low-lying regions of the Lowveld.
The flowers have white lobes with crinkly red margins and are borne from May to September.
The sap of these plants is toxic and has been used as a fish poison.
Must be planted in well drained soil in full sun.
Adenium swazicum. Summer Impala Lily. Somerimpalalelie.
This dwarf succulent shrub grows to 30cm in height, in hot dry areas of the Lowveld.
The flowers are shades of pink to rose-red to maroon and are borne from January to May.
Must be planted in well drained soil in full sun.
Pachypodium saundersii. Kudu Lily. Koedoelelie.
A succulent shrub which resembles the Impala Lily, but has slender sharp thorns along the branches,
Growing up to 1m in height.
The flowers are white, flushed with pink and are borne from April to June.
Must be planted in sany wekk drained soil in full sun.
Gazania krebsiana subsp.serrulata. Gazania. Botterblom.
A ground hugging perennial, which grows up to 10cm, which grows in open grasslands.
Flowers are bright yellow and are borne from July to September.
An excellent ground cover for dry, well drained areas.
Must be planted in full sun. They will not flower when in shade.
Osteospermum juncundum. Bergbietou. Bloubietou.
A spreading perennial ground cover up to 60cm in height, which grows in open grasslands.
The daisy like blooms are pinkish-mauve and have yellow rays in their centres and are borne from
August to March.
Needs full sun.
Gerbera jamesonii. Barberton Daisy. Barbetonse Madeliefie.
The well loved Barberton Daisy grows up to 40cm high from a basal rosette, which grows on rocky
outcrops and grasslands.
The bright orange to red flowers are borne from August to December.
Can be grown in full sun, but they prefer light shade and well drained soil.
Scadoxus puniceus. Blood Lily (Paintbrush) Bloedlelie, Seerooglelie.
Bulbous perennial which grows up to 50cm in height and grows in lightly shaded grassland or on
rocky outcrops in the Lowveld.
The flowers are densely massed dark orange to red and are borne from October to November and
are eaten by grey duiker, just before the flowers open. The fleshy red berries are eaten by a variety
of birds and squirrels.
Can be grown in full sun or lightly shaded areas in well drained soils.