Shrubs

Tecomaria capensis

Botanical name	Tecomaria capensis
Other names	Cape honeysuckle; Bignonia capensis; Tecoma; Kaapse kanferfoelie (Afrikaans)
Family	Bignoniaceae
Dimensions	Evergreen climbing shrub up to 4m and widely spreading
Description of stem	Many-branched smooth brown stems with conspicuous lenticels
Description of leaves	Imparipinnate with 2 to 5 pairs of shiny, smooth, undulating leaflets plus the terminal one
Description of flowers	Yellow (this form in cultivation only), orange and red tubular curved flowers appearing in terminal sprays; exserted style and stamens and copious quantities of nectar
Desciption of seed/fruit	Splitting flat capsule containing many papery winged seeds
Description of roots
Variation	Flower colour variations
Propagation and cultivation	Grows easily from seed or cuttings, may invade under favourable conditions
Tolerances
Uses	As a hedge or general garden plant
Ecological rarity	Common
Pests and diseases
Other	Recorded as a garden plant at Kew Gardens in the UK since 1823
Location	Forest edges, bushy valleys, and wooded areas where the general tree height is low
Distribution (SA provinces)	Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo
Country	South Africa, Mozambique

Tecomaria capensis flowers; Photographed by M Komen

Tecomaria capensis; Photographed by M Komen

Tecomaria capensis yellow flower; Photographed by Johannes Vogel

Botanical name	Tetradenia riparia
Other names	Ginger bush; watersalie (Afrikaans); iboza (Zulu)
Family	Lamiaceae
Dimensions	Large deciduous and dioecious shrub, seldom a tree, up to 3 m
Description of stem	Smooth, light grey to brown bark
Description of leaves	Ovate, sometimes round soft and sticky, hairy; veins indented above, prominent below; margin toothed; leaves exude a spicy scent
Description of flowers	Axillary and terminal spikes of very small light mauve, white or sometimes pink tamarisk-like flowers appearing late winter to early spring, usually before the leaves
Description of seed/fruit
Description of roots
Variation

Propagation and cultivation	Grows very easily from cuttings; plant in frost-free positions
Tolerances	Frost tender
Uses	Leaf infusions used by traditional communities for a variety of respiratory, stomach and other ailments, including malaria; attracts a variety of insects
Ecological rarity	Common
Pests and diseases
Other	Tetradenia = having four glands; riparia = growing on river banks
Location	In lightly forested areas and near water
Distribution (SA provinces)	Limpopo; Mpumalanga; Kwazulu-Natal
Country	South Africa

Botanical name	Triumfetta sonderi
Other names	Waaierbossie or spinnekopbossie (Afrikaans)
Family	Tiliacea, the linden family
Dimensions	Small, bushy shrub of about 35 cm in height
Description of stem	Branched, multiple stems
Description of leaves	Simple, alternate, ovate, margins toothed
Description of flowers	Small starshaped flowers with light yellow petals and many stamens, appearing during summer
Desciption of seed/fruit	Distinctive long, pinkish-red hairs arranged in a round brush cover the spherical fruit and add even more to the plant's attractive appearance than the flowers
Description of roots
Variation
Propagation and cultivation	Not known to be cultivated; might make a useful garden subject
Tolerances
Uses
Ecological rarity	not threatened
Pests and diseases
Other
Location	Sunny grassland and rocky areas
Distribution (SA provinces)	Gauteng; Limpopo; Northwest
Country	South Africa; Botswana