September bells Rothmannia globosa This decorative ornamental shrub or small tree grows to a height of 6 m in a sunny or semi-shade position. It is a relatively slow grower but will produce its showy flowers at an early age. The leaves are an attractive glossy green with reddish-purple veins. A profusion of large, sweetly-scented, […]
bird friendly
Pavetta lanceolata
Forest Bride’s Bush, Weeping Bride’s Bush Pavetta lanceolata This is a hardy, evergreen shrub with dense glossy green leaves and large, dramatic clusters of white flowers that are strongly scented. It is a real feature plant as the flowers simply cover the bush from top to bottom. Birds love the fruit that follow the flowers. […]
Psychotria capensis
Black Bird Berry Psychotria capensis This is one of the most useful plants in a garden because it can be grown in both sun and shade. Shady conditions produce a shrub that can grow to seven metres. Glossy leaved, it produces bunches of small, bright yellow flowers that are followed by clusters of fruit which […]
Haemanthus albiflos
White Paintbrush Haemanthus albiflos These bears a darling little white paintbrush-like flower in winter. It pushes out from glossy strap like green leaves – quite different. This is followed by fruits that turn red and simply glow in the shade – they are quickly snapped up by birds in my garden. They like a rich […]
Halleria lucida (Tree fuchsia)
Tree fuchsia Halleria lucida A small evergreen tree, HALLERIA lucida will grow up to 4 or 5 metres tall by 3 or 4 metres wide. It provides nectar and fruit as well as attracting insects for insect-eating birds. It also provides nesting sites. It is cold hardy but likes regular water.
Ficus trichopoda
Hippopotamus fig or Swamp fig Ficus trichopoda From a bird-attracting perspective this wild fig species ranks amongst the very best of the garden plants. Having seen the many different bird species visiting the tree in my garden when it is laden with fruit from early spring and through the summer months leads me to conclude […]
Ficus sur
Cape fig Ficus sur (Cape fig) This large, evergreen tree provides a haven for a wide diversity of animal life. The fig family Moraceae has 35 Ficus species in southern Africa and the Cape fig is a common tree across much of sub-Saharan Africa. It is found from the southern Cape to Limpopo and across […]
Combretum kraussii
Forest Bushwillow The Forest Bushwillow is an attractive, deciduous tree, no matter the season. It retains its rich autumn colour for most of the winter and only has a leafless period of about one month. It attracts insect-eating birds because it serves as a host plant for butterflies – the summer foliage is a rich […]
Cotyledon orbiculata
Pig’s ears or Elk’s horn Cotyledon orbiculata Succulent plants are still extremely popular in the garden fashion stakes, especially during periods of below average rainfall. One of my favourite indigenous succulents is Cotyledon orbiculata, an extremely variable plant that is found growing naturally in many parts of South Africa, where it often varies enormously from […]
Ochna serrulata
Carnival bush, Mickey Mouse bush Ochna serrulata The Mickey Mouse bush is a stunning garden subject that will eventually grow about 1.8 by 1.5 metres. It bears a profusion of bright yellow flowers early in spring, followed by red sepals with black berries that are eaten by many bird species. O. serrulata will grow in […]