With Christmas by the corner, now is the time to invest in festive foliage! Ilex aquifolium, commonly called the Common Holly is a densely branched evergreen tree with a pyramidal shape. Although native to Europe, Western Asia and North Africa, this slow growing tree or shrub is now grown all over the world due to [...]
A very hardy small to medium sized evergreen tree, Pittosporum viridiflorum makes a good specimen plant in the garden when planted both in full sun or semi-shade conditions. This tree grows over a wide range of altitudes and its growth habit varies from one location to another. It prefers well-drained soils and is reasonably drought [...]
Grewia occidentalis is an evergreen to semi-deciduous tree that can reach a mature height of 10m in its natural habitat where growing conditions are favourable. In gardens, it can reach a mature height of about 3m. This tree is common in a wide variety of habitats from arid Karoo, coastal dune bush to evergreen montane [...]
Myrsine africana is a dense multi-stemmed small shrub commonly found growing among rocks or beneath other trees. This slow growing evergreen shrub has an upright growth habit, it can reach a mature height of about 2m when growing conditions are favourable. The distribution of Myrsine africana stretches from the Himalayas, China and the Azores to [...]
Tecoma capensis is indigenous to South Africa and perfectly suited to our rugged climate. Fast growing with a scrambling form, Cape honeysuckle may grow up to 2 – 3 m tall and has a spread of approximately 2.5 m. In warmer areas the shrub is evergreen, but it can lose its leaves in colder locations. [...]
Bauhinia tomentosa is a multi-stemmed small tree/shrub characterised with lobed leaves resembling butterfly wings. This tree grows well both under full sun and shade conditions. It is a fast grower, with a growth rate of about 900mm per year. This species of Bauhinia grows from the coastal Eastern Cape and southern Natal to Limpopo and [...]
The false olive is a very hardy evergreen tree characterised with a much-branched crown and drooping branches. Its distribution stretches from the Western Cape in South Africa to Zimbabwe. Buddleja saligna is a common tree in dry, deciduous woodlands especially along drainage lines. It is classified as a small tree which can reach a mature [...]
Fiddlewood is a pretty shrub or small tree native to the West Indies but is now grown as an ornamental tree all over the world. This tree is semi-deciduous and keeps some of its foliage all year and will drop some leaves as well. Although fiddlewood favours wet habitats, it has also been found in [...]
Indigenous to South Africa, naturally found in a wide variety of habitats, the Cross berry is named after the shape of the berry which consists of four distinctive lobes. Evergreen to semi-deciduous, depending on the climate, Grewia occidentalis is a scrambling shrub or small tree, reaching about 3 m in height. The tree has shiny, [...]
Indigenous to South Africa, Leucosidea sericea is part of the family Rosaceae (Rose family) and occurs mainly in the eastern and northern parts of South Africa. The common name ‘Oldwood’ was given as the tree has a gnarled trunk and flaky bark, resembling a very old tree. This is a fast growing, evergreen straggly shrub [...]
