Indigenous Beauties : Kleinia fulgens

If you're looking for a small plant that makes a big difference, then the coral senecio is it. Its a hardy plant, ideal for a rockery, amongst grasses or planted alongside aloes. Its a plant to rival David Blaine - the endurance artist and illusionist. Its incredibly tough - plants can be left out of the ground for weeks, and when replanted, carry on as if nothing ever happened.

Kleinia fulgens peaking out of Aloe vanbalenii's legs

Added to its supernatural abilities the fact that it is a perfect combination of silvery-blue foliage and bright red thistle-like flowers, you know it will stand out in any garden or container.

Kleinia Fulgens in flower

The resilient succulent grows to about 500-600mm, and loves a hot dry spot in the garden. It flowers best when its been well fed and watered in summer and then left dormant in winter. The lipstick-red flowers look amazing flowering alongside Aloes in winter.

The name Kleinia comes from the German zoologist - Dr Klein, who first documented the plant, but klein also happens to be the Afrikaans word for small. Fulgens is the latin word for glittering. 'Little Glittering' is a perfect summary of this amazing plant.

Indigenous Beauties : Helichrysum umbraculigerum

On a recent trip to Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve (which is beautiful at any time of year), I had a chance to take some photo's of this beautiful Helichrysum. Its not a very common garden plant, which is hard to understand when you see the large yellow flowers that rise up above the veld. I really had to fight hard to resist the urge to take some cuttings!

Helichrysum umbraculigerum

Actually, as with many Helichrysum, the 'flower' is actually an umbel. This is basically a collection of tiny flowers that all rise from the same point on a stalk, and form a flattish top - think umbrella. They remind me of little landing pads for insects flying over the grass in search of food.

Its a fast-growing perennial with hairy grey-green leaves. It flowers towards the end of Summer, as most other flowers are starting to go to seed. It reaches about a metre in height, and spreads out about 1 metre wide.

It looks spectacular when planted in large groups.

It generally prefers sun or light shade, rich well-draining soil in summer rainfall areas.
The umbels make excellent long-lasting cut flowers.

Indigenous Beauties : Aloe vanbalenii

Who needs flowers when you've got this Aloe in your garden?

Aloe vanbalenii

I started these 'Indigenous Beauties' posts as a way of highlighting indigenous plants that are not very commonly used in the garden, but really should be. This plant doesn't quite fit into that category, because I've noticed that people are paying more attention to this particular Aloe...and for good reason.

Aloes are especially useful in a garden, because they mostly flower in winter when everything else is looking dry and spent. Add to this, the fact that during hot, dry periods, the foliage of many aloes will start to turn red, and you'll begin to see their unique place in a garden.

Aloe vanbalenii especially, needs very little attention, and forms dense clumps of competing plants. In times of plentiful water, or in a little shade, their foliage is a pleasing apple green, but as the heat increases, they turn a deep orange-red colour. They remind me of a bunch (what is the collective-noun?) of Octopuses jostling for their place in the sun.

Their foliage looks great in combination with yellows and other warm colours. Here they've been planted with equally hardy silvery Kleinia fulgens to fill the gaps. The silver really emphasises their colour.

They are stemless, so they don't get tall, but each plant will spread to about 1m wide and about 50cm high. Their flowers are yellow, and occasionally pink.

Indigenous Beauties : Stapelia gigantea

I love using contrasts in a garden, and Stapelia seems to have more than its fair share of contrasts all in one plant. The best description I can think of for this plant is that its Pretty Awful - but in a good way?

Stapelia gigantea
Carrion Flower

If you are used to looking at the fairly nondescript succulent stems for most of the year, the flower when it arrives, starting with a blood red bud, opens up into an incredibly beautiful pale yellow flower. The fleshy flower itself seems too big for the small stems, and although it looks amazing, it smells terrible - unless you're a fly of course.

Its common name is Carrion Flower because of its use of its awful rotting flesh smell to attract insects - and particularly flies. The flies spread pollen from one flower to the next as the pollen sacs get stuck to them.

The stems are four-sided and are spineless, and are able to withstand extremes - from dry to relatively moist conditions. It can be planted in semi-shade, but will flower well in full sun. It would often be found in rocky, sandy soil, and even in rock crevasses, where its root benefits from the coolness of the stone. It's large flowers put on their show from summer to autumn.

They generally need a cool dry winter period, and can be cultivated very easily. Stapelia is definitely an easy plant to grow and look after - and is well worth finding a spot for it. But preferably where a breeze will dilute its odour!

Indigenous Beauties : Leucosidea sericea

This is a small tree that I've been wanting to put the spotlight on for a while now. Its common name is Ouhout, which directly translates as 'old wood'. It probably gets this name from the way the trunk and specifically the bark looks old and wizened.

Leucosidea sericea
Ouhout

It is an extremely fast growing, evergreen tree that gets to about 5m in height, it loves full sun, and is often found near rivers or streams. It is best planted in groves and preferably where the bark can be truly appreciated. Even its soft and serrated leaves are beautiful, and release a strong aroma when crushed.

Its flowers are light green to yellow, and appear from Spring to Summer.

It will handle frost easily, but doesn't take well to dry conditions. It would normally grow at higher altitudes - it is quite common along rivers in the Drakensburg.

Indigenous Beauties : Dissotis princeps

Dissotis princeps
Wild Tibouchina

Dissotis princeps is a wild and princely plant. It flowers off and on from the end of Summer right through to the beginning of Spring. Its an ideal plant in wet or damp areas in the garden, it flowers for long periods, and loves full sun. Its also an easy plant to grow, it grows very fast, and can be cut right back after flowering.

Its common name is the Wild Tibouchina because it looks similar to the Tibouchina we see in established gardens, but its also known as the Royal Dissotis, because princeps means 'princely' in latin.

Its been known to be used as an aphrodisiac, and been harvested as a vegetable in difficult times.

Indigenous Beauties : Gloriosa superba

The flame lily is a truly spectacular plant in full bloom, but its a plant that comes with a warning label - the whole plant is extremely poisonous when eaten.

Gloriosa superba
Flame lily

But even though its blossoms bite, its apricot/orange/red flowers make it worth finding a place to show it off.

It loves semi-shade, and will often climb up into the shrubs and trees that surround it. It seems to grow best in sandy soil, but with plenty of water.

It flowers in summer, and then dies back completely in winter, leaving little trace of its beauty.

Indigenous Beauties : Cross Berry

Its easy to find plants to admire this time of the year, when everything is looking so lush and green, and every plant is bursting with extravagant flowers.

Grewia occidentalis
Cross Berry

The Cross Berry (Grewia occidentalis) though, is one of those plants that seem to be easily over-looked. Its never one for histrionics. The flowers which start in Summer, are never showy, but are always pretty. Birds and butterflies are not superficial however, and know a Grewia's real value and will often be found eating the 4-lobed fruit from which it derives its name.

It ranges in height from 2-5m, and will grow in Sun or Shade. It is semi-deciduous - in optimum conditions it won't lose too many leaves. Its a great tree for a small garden, and will often form more than one stem. It looks even better when planted to form a grove of Cross Berries.

If you're looking for other small trees for small gardens, check this previous post.

Stink-wood is no exaggeration!

My team and I have just been cutting back a very old, and dying Celtis africana. And for the last few hours, I've been wondering what that smell is thats been following me around... until I remembered the common name for a Celtis is the White Stinkwood.

This is a magnificent semi-deciduous tree, its fast growing, and gets quite big. In the right place it will reach about 20-25m. Its bark is a lovely smooth grey colour, and if it gets enough water through winter, it will keep most of its lush-green foliage.

While it is small, it is often mistaken for a Pigeonwood because of the similarity of its leaves. But there is no mistaking it when it starts to mature.

Celtis africana is a haven for all kinds of birds, lizards and insects. And I found seeds of the amazing Tapinanthus (a type of mistletoe, that I've written about in a previous post) on one of the upper branches, which shows that this particular part of the coastal forest eco-system is working quite nicely.

Excuse the slightly blurred picture, I was balancing rather precariously on the end of a branch to get the photo!

Indigenous Trees for Small Gardens

I get quite a bit of traffic on this site from people searching for indigenous trees for small gardens. I think its an indicator of the fact that people are moving from larger gardens to smaller more manageable gardens. Its also a great sign that people are moving towards planting indigenous trees. I'm also encouraged by the fact that people are taking the time to research before visiting nurseries or just planting trees that are unsuitable, or will get too big for the space available.

Ochna serrulata

The advantages of using indigenous as opposed to exotic trees, is that you'll be creating the natural habitat for all kinds of birds, bats, butterflies and other creatures. Also, very often indigenous trees are less prone to disease, and require less water.

I've placed the spotlight on a few trees that would be great in a small garden in previous posts. Some of my favourites are the Tabernaemontana or Toad Tree, and the Halleria lucida.

But there is an amazing variety of trees to choose from. These trees would be easy rivals to most exotic trees that are established first choice plants:

Aloe Barbarae - Tree Aloe - Majestic and statuesque

Brachylaena discolor - Silver Oak - Great coastal shrub/ small tree with silvery foliage

Cussonia species - Most Cabbage trees are great for small gardens, as they don't take up a lot of space, or create too much shade. Beware of the roots though!

Dichrostachys cinerea - not easy to find in most nurseries, but worth the search.

Dombeya species - there are several Dombeyas that are perfect for small gardens.

Heteropyxis natalensis - Fragrant and pretty.

Millettia grandis - attractive purple flowers and reddish pods.

Ochna serrulata - is covered in bright yellow flowers, and then red and black fruits. Is slow growing though. (Photo above)

Olea species - great for a mediterranean style garden, very neat looking, can be easily trimmed to shape.

Trema orientalis - commonly called a Pigeonwood because birds love the berries and use it to nest in. Very fast growing, but relatively short-lived. A little untidy though.

Turraea floribunda - attracts an abundance of birds and insects to its beautiful flowers.

Xylotheca kraussiana - Slow, but worth the wait...

I will expand on some of these trees in posts to follow, but check out Plantzafrica for details on each of them in the meantime. You can also check out other posts on indigenous plants for South Africa.

Indigenous Beauties - Bird attracting garden

My team and I are busy with the tidying of the garden of a beautiful old Durban home. It has a well established indigenous garden, with some exceptional plants.

Halleria lucida - Tree Fuschia

The Tree Fuschia is a great plant for attracting birds. Sunbirds in particular love the nectar that they get from the tubular flowers that sprout profusely from the Halleria's stem. Fruit loving birds also love the green berries that appear in Spring.
Its an excellent plant when you're looking for fast growth, and it grows to a height of anything from about 3m to about 15m. It will grow in full sun or semi-shade, but will look better in a slightly sheltered spot.
It has been used medicinally for skin and ear problems.

Carissa bispinosa

The Carissa, or amatungulu is a very useful plant. It has attractive white flowers, which appear in Summer, followed by bright red fruit, which are high in vitamin C. The fruit are used to make a delicious jam.
It grows in Sun or Semi-shade, and does quite well on windswept dunes. It is often grown as an impenetrable hedge, as it is covered in painfully sharp forked spines.
It is relatively fast-growing once established, but takes a while to get going. It will reach about 3m in height if left, but looks better when cut back into a dense shrub.

Schotia brachypetala

The Schotia is also known as the Weeping Boer-boon (Farmers Bean) . It has been given this name because of the huge amounts of nectar that drip from the beautiful bright-red flowers, and because its pods are shaped like beans. Because of the dripping nectar, its best not to plant it too close to paved areas, or near parked cars. Nectar-loving birds are frequent visitors to this tree. Its relatively fast growing, and reaches about 15-20m high and wide.

Some of the other well-established bird-attracting plants were Aloes, Cussonia, Indigofera, Polygala, and a Toad Tree. One plant I couldn't identify, which had an amazing sweet scent was this little shrub (1.5-2m high):

Any ideas as to what it is?

Indigenous Beauties - Rhagoda (Salt Bush)

Rhagoda histata

Salt Bush

I have to say I'm a sucker for grey foliage. I love the beautiful contrasts that it creates with most colours. It's a lot like a bridesmaid at a wedding - it's function is to show the main colours around it, at their best.

Rhagoda is that kind of selfless plant. It's common name is Salt bush, because it grows so well in salty coastal conditions.
It's foliage looks so soft and velvety that it makes you want to take a nap amongst its leaves, but it releases an unpleasant fishy smell when you brush your hand over it.

It has been largely ignored by most people, but is quite a rewarding plant. It grows best in full sun and in well-draining soil. It is fast growing, and will reach about 1m high.
It can be trimmed into a slightly unkempt low hedge, and should be done regularly to keep it neat.

Silent Green Vandalism

A friend of mine once joked that if there were ever a nuclear explosion in South Africa, the only things that would survive would be the cockroaches and Natal Figs (Ficus natalensis).

In the right place, these beautiful trees can be the crowning glory in a garden. Birds and bats love their fruit, insects love their flowers, and a host of creatures use them as homes and hiding places. They grow easily from seeds or cuttings, and will reach a height and circumference of ±20m if they are in the right place.

They can also be a nightmare if they are left to grow in the wrong place. I have seen countless broken walls that have had a small Natal Fig left to grow in a tiny crack. The leaves and stem are often hacked back, but the roots are incessant. Before you know it they have expanded and done irreparable damage. The roots can often be found at a distance of 2-3 times the radius of the canopy, looking for water. So they should never be planted anywhere near pools or drains.

Because of their amazing roots, they are also commonly known as strangler figs. They are often found growing out of a tiny reservoir of decaying leaves in hollows of other trees, but the roots soon find their way down to the ground, and within a short space of time, they begin to surround and smother their supporting tree. Its actually a very effective way of dealing with unwanted alien trees. (Provided you have the space for a large Fig in its place.)

If you do find a little green vandal growing where it shouldn't be, try to pull the plant out by the roots (if its still young), or cut it back and apply a mixture of diesel and garlon to the cut piece. If you do manage to pull it out, they make great-looking fast-growing bonsai that are easy to look after.

Indigenous Beauties : Tapinanthus

While clearing some branches and cutting down an alien invasive Syringa tree, I noticed this amazing plant growing on the branches of the Syringa. It's common name is 'Lighting Matches', for obvious visual reasons.

Tapinanthus
lighting matches

Its a type of mistletoe, and is hemi-parasitic. This means that it uses the sap of the host plant that it is attached to, as well as creating its own energy from photo-synthesis. In most cases it won't kill its host, but if in abundance on a single tree, it may weaken its host, making it prone to diseases.

It is spread by birds which eat and regurgitate its extremely sticky fruit, the fruit usually lands on a branch, which then attaches itself by sending out 'roots' into the branch.

The fruit is also used to catch birds, by being chewed into a sticky pulp which is then spread on the branches of trees. Birds get stuck to the glue, and are then quite easily caught.

It is not easily spotted, as it blends well with its hosts leaves. However in winter when the host loses its leaves, and it begins flowering it is quite easy to see.

It might be a great environmentally friendly way of dealing with the Syringa I need to cut down - spread enough of the Tapinanthus onto its branches, and weaken it, so that it eventually dies on its own?

Indigenous Beauties : White Leonotus leonurus

Leonotus leonurus
Wild Dagga

Driving past Springside Nature Reserve, I spotted this Leonotus growing at the entrance. Its not as common as the Orange Wild Dagga but its just as beautiful.

Indigenous Beauties : Leonotus leonurus

Leonotus leonurus
Wild Dagga

This is really an outstanding plant. It is one of the most noticeable plants during a dry winter, bringing much needed pockets of colour to the rocky grasslands in which it is naturally found.

The flowers are usually bright, fountains of orange, but can be found in apricot and even white. Sunbirds love the nectar found in these flowers.

I've found it flowering throughout autumn and winter.

After it is finished flowering it should be cut right back, and will reach around 2m by the next flowering season. It seeds itself very easily if left.

It grows in well-draining loamy soil. It should be composted, and watered well in the summer, but needs little attention in winter.

It should be planted amongst wild grass, or at the back of a flower bed to give height and colour. It is best to plant with an evergreen plant so that when it is cut back drastically every year, the gap is not as sorely noticed.

Indigenous Beauties : Helichrysum kraussii

Helichrysum kraussii
Straw Everlasting

Helichrysum kraussii is often found growing in colonies in grasslands. It loves a sunny spot, and doesn't need very much water to thrive.

It can grow up to 1 metre if left to its own devices, and does become woody at its base. The foliage is a wonderful downy grey, and releases a pungent aroma when touched - especially in warm weather. The flowers dry superbly.

Behind The Scenes

Recently, I went back to visit a garden that I completed about 9 months ago. This garden was a little tricky, in that it was a smallish garden with multiple uses. There were 3 main areas to the garden - a front garden with a pool and high walls, an old concrete driveway, and a grassy back garden with a patio area.

Before Photos

There were a couple of good points, that I felt we could use. There were some existing Eugenia hedges that would do a great job of breaking the height of the walls, but they were being cut too short to really make any impact. A medium-sized Leopard tree stood in the corner, which looked great, but possibly gave too much shade for the amount of traffic that the grass was subjected to. Also, there were some beautiful Icebergs growing around the edges of the grass.

The brief revolved mainly around updating the driveway, and improving the garden in general. The limiting factors were the need for parking and keeping an area for turning vehicles that come out of the garage.

I did some initial sketches with a couple of options to choose from, but my client was justifiably worried about losing too much space for parking and turning the cars. We settled on a comfortable balance between parking and aesthetics.

I kept the planting simple, using at the most 3-4 types of plants to an area, and removing the unwanted plants. I decided to keep the Eugenia hedge as a backdrop, with Duranta "Sheena's Gold" as a lower hedge in front, and then either Felicia, Agapanthus, or Plectranthus in the front.

We replaced the concrete on the driveway with Huguenot cobbles from Smartstone, and then planted Dietes grandiflora with Erigeron in between.

On the blank wall to the side, we attached wire to the wall and planted Trachelospermum (Star Jasmine) to climb up to form diamond shapes. This will make the wall seem less stark, and at the same time, spread the scent of Jasmine into the garden.

The triangle bed between the driveway and patio, was previously a blank grass area. This left the patio area exposed. We moved some of the roses from the shadier north part of the garden into this bed, and then planted Lavender at the back, with Erigeron in front. The wire that can be seen in front of the bed, was to keep Bella the boisterous rottweiler out of the new flower beds. It gives a minor shock when you touch it (I've tested it!). After a couple of times of being shocked, the animals stay out of the bed. At this point you can turn it off, and even remove it, and the animals still won't go back into the beds.

We installed an irrigation system throughout the garden. In the main grassy area, we used pop-ups. In the rest of the beds and along the driveway, because of their awkward shape, we used drip irrigation pipes. This would also keep evaporation to a minimum, and therefore save water. The drawback with these pipes seems to have been their tendency to come apart at the joins, unless the hose clamps are extremely tight.

Nearly a year after planting, I am very happy with the growth. Unfortunately, a caterpillar seems to have gotten into some of the Agapanthus, and eaten them. The hedges still need to fill out a bit, but are looking quite healthy. The drip pipe gives the odd bit of trouble, when the pressure is high. I'm looking forward to visiting this garden 2 years from now, when everything is more fully grown.

Indigenous Beauties : Tabernaemontana elegans

Tabernaemontana elegans
Toad Tree

This small to medium sized tree is perfect for a small garden. It reaches about 3-8m in height, with a single roughly fissured corky trunk. Its evergreen foliage is always a rich glossy green colour. It bears clusters of white star shaped flowers from the start of spring to the end of summer. The fruit is usually in pairs, with a look and texture similar to a toads skin.

It will grow in semi shade to full sun, and requires moderate water in well draining soil. It is frost hardy to an extent.

I love this tree for so many reasons. You can't go wrong, whether you choose it for its small size, foliage that always looks amazing, its pretty flowers or unusual fruit and bark.

Indigenous Beauties : Ruttyruspolia 'Phyllis Van Heerden'

Ruttyruspolia 'Phyllis Van Heerden'

I feel a little apologetic for this perennially beautiful plant - that no-one has taken the care to give it a common name. Its Latin name is a bit of a mouthful, and usually mispronounced or misspelled.

It is a shrub that reaches 1-2m in height, and stays quite compact. If planted in the shade of taller plants - it will go scrambling for light.
It bears clusters of star-shaped warm pink flowers for most of summer. It should be pruned back well after it has finished flowering. It loves a sunny spot, with well draining soil.

It doesn't enjoy frosty conditions. Interestingly enough, it is a hybrid of 2 different genera (Ruttya and Ruspolia).

Any ideas for a common name?