Indigenous plants for South African gardens Search by scientific name, English, Afrikaans or local names. Pins mark towns across all nine provinces. Notes are original garden guidance — species monographs live on SANBI PlantZAfrica.
All of South Africa Gauteng Highveld (23 towns) Free State grassland (12 towns) Mpumalanga (Highveld to Lowveld) (16 towns) Limpopo bushveld (12 towns) North West savanna (10 towns) KwaZulu-Natal (19 towns) Eastern Cape (16 towns) Western Cape (25 towns) Northern Cape (14 towns) Any town Pretoria Centurion Johannesburg Sandton Randburg Midrand Roodepoort Soweto Benoni Boksburg Germiston Kempton Park Springs Alberton Krugersdorp Randfontein Vereeniging Vanderbijlpark Heidelberg Bronkhorstspruit Cullinan Hammanskraal Mogale City Bloemfontein Welkom Virginia Kroonstad Bethlehem Harrismith Clarens Phuthaditjhaba Parys Sasolburg Ladybrand Ficksburg eMalahleni Middelburg Ermelo Standerton Secunda Carolina Dullstroom Mashishing Sabie Graskop Mbombela White River Hazyview Barberton Komatipoort eMkhondo Polokwane Mokopane Modimolle Bela-Bela Lephalale Tzaneen Makhado Thohoyandou Musina Phalaborwa Hoedspruit Giyani Rustenburg Brits Hartbeespoort Mahikeng Potchefstroom Klerksdorp Orkney Lichtenburg Vryburg Koster Durban Umhlanga Pinetown Ballito KwaDukuza Richards Bay Empangeni Scottburgh Port Shepstone Margate Pietermaritzburg Hilton Howick Estcourt Ladysmith Newcastle Underberg Kokstad Ulundi Gqeberha Kariega Jeffreys Bay St Francis Bay East London Qonce Bhisho Makhanda Mthatha Port St Johns Butterworth Komani Aliwal North Graaff-Reinet Cradock Somerset East Cape Town Stellenbosch Paarl Franschhoek Wellington Somerset West Gordon's Bay Hermanus Grabouw Caledon Swellendam Robertson Montagu Worcester Ceres Malmesbury Saldanha Langebaan Clanwilliam George Mossel Bay Knysna Plettenberg Bay Oudtshoorn Beaufort West Kimberley Kuruman Kathu Upington Kakamas Prieska De Aar Colesberg Calvinia Sutherland Springbok Port Nolloth Alexander Bay Postmasburg
147 towns mapped · click a pin or choose a town. Diverse provinces are split into coast, midlands, Lowveld, Karoo and fynbos notes.
Pretoria Centurion Johannesburg Sandton Randburg Midrand Roodepoort Soweto Benoni Boksburg Germiston Kempton Park Springs Alberton Krugersdorp Randfontein Vereeniging Vanderbijlpark Heidelberg Bronkhorstspruit Cullinan Hammanskraal Mogale City Bloemfontein Welkom Virginia Kroonstad Bethlehem Harrismith Clarens Phuthaditjhaba Parys Sasolburg Ladybrand Ficksburg eMalahleni Middelburg Ermelo Standerton Secunda Carolina Dullstroom Mashishing Sabie Graskop Mbombela White River Hazyview Barberton Komatipoort eMkhondo Polokwane Mokopane Modimolle Bela-Bela Lephalale Tzaneen Makhado Thohoyandou Musina Phalaborwa Hoedspruit Giyani Rustenburg Brits Hartbeespoort Mahikeng Potchefstroom Klerksdorp Orkney Lichtenburg Vryburg Koster Durban Umhlanga Pinetown Ballito KwaDukuza Richards Bay Empangeni Scottburgh Port Shepstone Margate Pietermaritzburg Hilton Howick Estcourt Ladysmith Newcastle Underberg Kokstad Ulundi Gqeberha Kariega Jeffreys Bay St Francis Bay East London Qonce Bhisho Makhanda Mthatha Port St Johns Butterworth Komani Aliwal North Graaff-Reinet Cradock Somerset East Cape Town Stellenbosch Paarl Franschhoek Wellington Somerset West Gordon's Bay Hermanus Grabouw Caledon Swellendam Robertson Montagu Worcester Ceres Malmesbury Saldanha Langebaan Clanwilliam George Mossel Bay Knysna Plettenberg Bay Oudtshoorn Beaufort West Kimberley Kuruman Kathu Upington Kakamas Prieska De Aar Colesberg Calvinia Sutherland Springbok Port Nolloth Alexander Bay Postmasburg
Nine provinces, many climates South Africa is not one planting zone. The same coral tree that thrives in Mbombela will sulk through a Bloemfontein July. Pick a town on the map to see a list filtered to that climate.
91 plants in this view
Tree
Wild Olive Olea europaea subsp. africana
Olienhout · Motlhware · UmNquma · Isiqwashumbe
Evergreen Highveld classic. Grey-green canopy, edible fruit for birds, and a strong tap-root once established. Excellent street and garden tree for Pretoria frost.
Tree
Karee Searsia lancea
Karee · Mohlweze · InHlakahle
Weeping, drought-tough shade tree for clay Highveld soils. Female trees carry fruit that starlings and bulbuls work through winter.
Tree
White Karee Searsia pendulina
Witkaree · White Karee
Finer, paler karee for smaller Pretoria gardens. Fast, frost-hardy, and less thirsty than exotic willows it is often asked to replace.
Tree
White Stinkwood Celtis africana
Witstinkhout · UmVumvu · Mohlaka-wêtlha
Deciduous shade tree with pale bark. Give it space in Pretoria — it becomes a landmark. Fruit feeds barbets and mousebirds.
Tree
River Bushwillow Combretum erythrophyllum
Riviervaderlandswilg · UmDubu · Modubu
Four-winged fruit and copper autumn colour. Happiest with a little extra summer water, so use it along swales rather than on high dry banks.
Tree
Sweet Thorn Vachellia karroo
Soetdoring · UmuNga · Mooka · Mookana
Nitrogen-fixing pioneer with fragrant pom-pom flowers. Plant away from paths if thorns worry children; excellent for wildlife hedges.
Tree
False Olive Buddleja saligna
Witolienhout · IGqeba-elimhlope
Fast evergreen screen for Pretoria. Cream flower sprays in winter feed insects when little else is in bloom.
Shrub
Sagewood Buddleja salviifolia
Saliehout · IGqange
Lilac winter flowers on sage-scented leaves. A butterfly magnet for Highveld suburban hedges.
Tree
Tree Fuchsia Halleria lucida
Notsung · UmBinza · Murevhe
Tubular orange-red flowers erupt from old wood — sunbirds treat it as a filling station. Shelter from the worst Pretoria frost when young.
Tree
Wild Pear Dombeya rotundifolia
Drolpeer · UnHlabane · Mohubladu
White spring blossom before the leaves — Pretoria’s indigenous ‘pear’. Short-lived as a pioneer, invaluable as early shade.
Tree
Common Coral Tree Erythrina lysistemon
Gewone Koraalboom · Umsinsi · Mophete
Scarlet winter flowers on bare wood. Sunbirds and weavers visit daily. Give a warm wall in colder Pretoria valleys.
Tree
Tree Wisteria Bolusanthus speciosus
Vanwykshout · UmHoha · Mogaba
Hanging mauve sprays in spring. A bushveld show tree that still performs in sheltered Pretoria gardens.
Tree
Lavender Tree Heteropyxis natalensis
Laventelboom · Inkunzane
Crushed leaves smell of lavender. Narrow, elegant tree for smaller Pretoria erven. Protect from hard frost for the first three winters.
Tree
Sausage Tree Kigelia africana
Worsboom · UmBongotha · Muvevha
Bat-pollinated night flowers and heavy fruit. A Lowveld and coastal tree — skip it in frosty Pretoria lawns.
Tree
Marula Sclerocarya birrea
Maroela · UmGanu · Morula
Iconic bushveld fruit tree. Female trees bear fruit. Too frost-tender for open Highveld but superb in the Lowveld.
Tree
Wild Plum Harpephyllum caffrum
Wildepruim · UmGwenya
Glossy evergreen with tart red fruit. Reliable in Durban; in Pretoria plant in a frost-sheltered court.
Tree
Cape Chestnut Calodendrum capense
Wildekastaiing · UmBhaba
Speckled pink summer flowers. Slow, worth the wait. Young plants need frost cloth in Pretoria.
Tree
Real Yellowwood Podocarpus latifolius
Opregte Geelhout · UmKhoba
National tree. Slow forest conifer for cool, moist sites — not a dry Highveld lawn tree.
Tree
Outeniqua Yellowwood Afrocarpus falcatus
Outeniekwa-geelhout · UmKhoba
Taller yellowwood of the southern Cape forests. Give it a lifetime, not a season.
Tree
Keurboom Virgilia oroboides
Keurboom · Keur
Pea-flowered pioneer of the Cape. Fast, relatively short-lived, and a good nurse tree for slower fynbos.
Tree
Silver Tree Leucadendron argenteum
Silwerboom · Silver Tree
Peninsula endemic. Needs acidic, superbly drained soil and no phosphates. Do not force it onto Highveld clay.
Tree
Tree Aloe Aloe barberae
Boomaalwyn · InKalane-enkulu
Architectural succulent tree for frost-free gardens. Sunbirds work the winter racemes.
Succulent
Mountain Aloe Aloe marlothii
Bergaalwyn · InHlaba
Horizontal winter flower spikes. A Highveld sculpture that asks for drainage, not kindness.
Succulent
Bitter Aloe Aloe ferox
Bitteraalwyn · IKhala
Single-stem aloe of the eastern seaboard. Candles of orange-red flowers in winter.
Succulent
Krantz Aloe Aloe arborescens
Kransaalwyn · InKalane
Clumping, fire-resistant hedge aloe. One of the easiest indigenous plants for a Pretoria bank.
Succulent
Spekboom Portulacaria afra
Spekboom · IGqwanitsha · Porkbush
Carbon-hungry thicket shrub. Clip as a hedge in Pretoria, but protect new growth from hard frost. A genuine water-saver.
Shrub
Cape Leadwort Plumbago auriculata
Syselbos · Umashishane
Sky-blue flower foam for informal hedges. Cut back after frost in Pretoria; it resprouts with the first heat.
Shrub
Cape Honeysuckle Tecoma capensis
Kaapse Kanferfoelie · UmSilinga
Tubular flowers in orange, yellow or apricot. Sunbirds never miss it. Trim as a hedge or let it scramble.
Perennial
Wild Dagga Leonotis leonurus
Wildedagga · UmFincafincane · Wilde Dagga
Orange pom-poms stacked on square stems. Cut to the ground in late winter. A sunbird staple in Pretoria.
Perennial
Crane Flower Strelitzia reginae
Kraanvoëlblom · Isigude
South Africa’s most recognised garden flower. Clumps slowly. Shelter from the coldest Pretoria lawn frost.
Tree
Natal Wild Banana Strelitzia nicolai
Natalse Wildepiesang · Inkamanga
Giant coastal strelitzia. Wrong plant for frosty Highveld; perfect for Durban courtyards.
Perennial
Agapanthus Agapanthus praecox
Bloulelie · Agapant
Eastern Cape native now used nationwide. Divide clumps every few years. Evergreen types sulk in hard frost; deciduous forms are tougher inland.
Perennial
Bush Lily Clivia miniata
Boslelie · Umayime
Forest-floor orange umbels. Shade, leaf mulch, and no frost. In Pretoria keep it on a verandah.
Perennial
Large Wild Iris Dietes grandiflora
Groot Wilde-iris · UKhindi
Tough clumping iris for Highveld parking-lot edges and Pretoria sidewalks. Flowers after rain.
Perennial
Red-hot Poker Kniphofia uvaria
Vuurpyl · Icacane
Nectar torches for sunbirds. Keep the crown high and well drained on Pretoria clay.
Perennial
Wild Garlic Tulbaghia violacea
Wildeknoffel · Isihaqa
Edible leaves, mauve flowers, and a mild garlic smell that deters some browsers. Edging plant for Pretoria vegetable gardens.
Shrub
Ribbon Bush Hypoestes aristata
Lintbos · Ribbon Bush
Autumn mauve haze that insects crowd. Cut back after flowering. Semi-frost hardy in Pretoria.
Shrub
Large Spur-flower Plectranthus ecklonii
Groot Spoorsalie · Spur Flower
Shade shrub for mist-belt and coastal gardens. Not a Highveld winter plant unless container-grown.
Shrub
Bush Violet Barleria obtusa
Bosviooltjie · Bush Violet
Autumn blue that knits Highveld shrubberies together. Resprouts after frost.
Shrub
Num-num Carissa macrocarpa
Noemnoem · Amathungulu
Thorny security hedge with edible red fruit. Coastal by nature; in Pretoria site it against a warm wall.
Shrub
Honeybell Bush Freylinia tropica
Honeybells · Honeybell
Fine-textured indigenous hedge for Pretoria. Takes clipping and drought once rooted.
Groundcover
Licorice Plant Helichrysum petiolare
Kooigoed · Imphepho
Silver trailing foliage for spilling over Pretoria retaining walls. Keep soil lean.
Perennial
Blue Daisy Felicia amelloides
Bloumagriet · Kingfisher Daisy
Sky-blue daisies on grey foliage. Short-lived; take cuttings. Good for coastal and Highveld summer colour.
Perennial
Cape Marguerite Osteospermum ecklonis
Kaapse Madeliefie · Snyblom
Eastern Cape daisy shrub. Many garden forms exist; the species is coastal and wind-hardy.
Shrub
Confetti Bush Coleonema pulchellum
Konfytbos · Confetti Bush
Scented fynbos filler. Needs acidic, well-drained soil. Unhappy on alkaline Pretoria fill unless in a raised sand bed.
Shrub
Round-leaf Buchu Agathosma betulina
Boegoe · Buchu
Aromatic Cederberg shrub. Cultivated buchu is a farm crop — in gardens give it fynbos conditions, never Highveld clay.
Shrub
King Protea Protea cynaroides
Koningprotea · King Protea
National flower. Acid, phosphorus-poor, perfectly drained soil. Sugarbirds pollinate. Do not plant in Pretoria clay.
Shrub
Pincushion Leucospermum cordifolium
Luisiesbos · Pincushion
Overberg pincushion. Same fynbos rules as proteas. Sunbirds and sugarbirds work the flower heads.
Shrub
Fire Erica Erica cerinthoides
Rooihaartjie · Fire Heath
One of the few ericas with a wide range, including some summer-rainfall mountains. Still a specialist, not a clay-bed plant.
Perennial
White Arum Zantedeschia aethiopica
Varkblom · Intebe
Marsh plant. Use in rain gardens and pond margins, not in dry Highveld beds. Rest in the dry season inland.
Succulent
Kerky Bush Crassula ovata
Kerkybos · Jade Plant
Eastern Cape succulent shrub. Starry winter flowers. In Pretoria, keep off lawn irrigation.
Succulent
Pig’s Ear Cotyledon orbiculata
Plakkie · IPewula
Grey paddles and coral tubes. Handles Highveld frost better than most succulents if kept dry in winter.
Succulent
Paddle Plant Kalanchoe thyrsiflora
Geelplakkie · White Lady
Meal-dusted paddles native to the Highveld. Flower spikes in winter; the rosette is monocarpic.
Perennial
Barberton Daisy Gerbera jamesonii
Barbertse Madeliefie · Barberton Daisy
Mpumalanga endemic that launched a global florist crop. In gardens give sharp drainage and summer rain.
Perennial
Cape Scabious Scabiosa africana
Kaapse Skabiosa · Pincushion Scabious
Lilac pincushions for Cape insect gardens. Deadhead to keep it flowering.
Grass
Red Grass Themeda triandra
Rooigras · Rooi Grass · Kgaka
The signature grass of Highveld grassland. Use in lieu of unused lawn. Seed-eaters work the heads in autumn.
Grass
Ngongoni Three-awn Aristida junciformis
Steekgras · Ngongoni
Fine, upright indigenous grass for meadow-style Pretoria verges.
Grass
Heart-seed Love Grass Eragrostis capensis
Hartjiesgras · Love Grass
Heart-shaped spikelets. A small meadow grass for Highveld rain gardens.
Grass
Cape Thatching Reed Elegia tectorum
Dekriet · Cape Restio
The restio that made contemporary Cape gardens. Needs acidic sand and wet winters, dry summers.
Groundcover
Emerald Fern Asparagus densiflorus
Katdoring (related Forms) · Isgogwane
The wild parent of many ‘asparagus fern’ cultivars. Useful indigenous texture; fruit feeds birds. Check you are buying the local form, not a weedy exotic asparagus.
Groundcover
Hen-and-chickens Chlorophytum comosum
Hen-en-kuikens · Spider Plant
Forest-margin hanging plant. The wild green form is South African. Bright variegated houseplant types still belong in shade.
Tree
Cheesewood Pittosporum viridiflorum
Kasuur · UmKhwenkwe
Scented green-yellow flowers and sticky orange seeds. A reliable evergreen for Pretoria screens.
Tree
Forest Elder Nuxia floribunda
Vlier · IThambo
Cream flower plates in winter. A forest-margin tree that still tries in a sheltered Pretoria garden.
Tree
Cape Holly Ilex mitis
Without · UmDuma
Evergreen holly of stream forests. Needs reliable moisture. Fruit is a bird crop.
Shrub
Bladdernut Diospyros whyteana
Swarthout · UmTenjane
Shade understorey with inflated seed cases. Excellent Pretoria woodland garden shrub.
Tree
Cape Beech Rapanea melanophloeos
Boekenhout · IKhubalo
Purple-black fruit for birds. Slow evergreen of coastal and mist-belt forests.
Tree
Natal Mahogany Trichilia emetica
Rooiessenhout · UmKhuhlu
Round, glossy shade tree of frost-free lowlands. A Durban street-tree, not a Pretoria one.
Tree
Water Berry Syzygium cordatum
Waterbessie · UmDoni
Riverine tree with edible fruit. Plant only where the water table is honest.
Tree
Natal Fig Ficus natalensis
Natalse Vy · UmThombe
Strangling or rock-splitting fig. Wildlife keystone. Keep far from foundations and pools.
Tree
Broom-cluster Fig Ficus sur
Besemvy · UmKiwane
Cauliflorous fig with fruit on the trunk. Huge. Only for large properties.
Tree
Cape Ash Ekebergia capensis
Essenhout · UmNyamathi
Rounded shade tree. Fruit for birds. Young plants need frost protection on the Highveld.
Tree
Mountain Seringa Kirkia wilmsii
Bergsering · Modumela
Fat-based tree of Magaliesberg and Waterberg koppies. Sculptural for rocky Pretoria gardens.
Tree
Tamboti Spirostachys africana
Tambotie · UmThombothi
Scented wood, milky sap that irritates skin. A bushveld tree for large, dry gardens — not a children’s play lawn.
Tree
Apple-leaf Philenoptera violacea
Appelblaar · UmHhohlo
Pale violet pea-flowers and apple-scented leaves. Lowveld riverine tree.
Tree
Red Ivory Berchemia zeyheri
Rooi-ivoor · UmNeyi
Fine-textured tree with red heartwood. Slow. Fruit for birds. Good Highveld candidate.
Tree
Velvet Bushwillow Combretum molle
Fluweelboswilg · UmBondwe
Soft, hairy leaves and four-winged fruit. Typical Magaliesberg woodland tree.
Succulent
Van Balen’s Aloe Aloe vanbalenii
Van Balen-se-aalwyn · Skerkop Aloe
Recurved yellow-green leaves that blush copper in sun. A modern water-wise ground aloe.
Perennial
Pink Watsonia Watsonia borbonica
Pienkkanolpypie · Watsonia
Winter-rainfall corm. Flowers in spring then dies back. Do not water in Cape summer.
Perennial
Blue Stars Aristea ecklonii
Blousterretjie · Blue Aristea
Morning-blue flowers that fade by afternoon. A summer-rainfall iris relative for damp Pretoria shade.
Shrub
Rough Blue Sage Salvia chamelaeagnea
Blousalie · Cape Sage
Electric blue sage of the Cape. Needs dry summers. Sunbirds use the long tubes.
Shrub
Beach Sage Salvia africana-lutea
Strandsalie · Golden Sage
Rusty-brown flowers and grey leaves. Wind and salt hardy. A coastal Cape essential.
Climber
Ivy-leaved Pelargonium Pelargonium peltatum
Kolsuring · Ivy Geranium
Wild parent of balcony geraniums. Coastal thicket and forest margin. Tender inland.
Perennial
Rose-scented Pelargonium Pelargonium graveolens
Malva · Wild Malva
Scented-leaf pelargonium of the north-east. Useful in Pretoria herb gardens if winters are not brutal.
Tree
Wild Almond Brabejum stellatifolium
Wilde-amandel · Wild Almond
The tree of Van Riebeeck’s hedge. Broad, starry leaves. Needs moisture and acidic soil.
Shrub
White Bristle Bush Metalasia muricata
Blombos · Blombos
Grey fynbos-thicket shrub that knits coastal windbreaks.
Shrub
Dune Crowberry Searsia crenata
Duintaaibos · Crowberry
The hedge of the eastern seaboard. Clip hard. Fruit for birds. Salt-proof.
Shrub
Spike-thorn Gymnosporia buxifolia
Pendoring · UmPhushane
Thorny security plant for Pretoria boundaries. Flowers are small; fruit is a bird crop.
Shrub
Pink Shell Bush Orthosiphon labiatus
Pienkmuishondbos · Shell Bush
Tubular pink flowers for insects. A soft Highveld shrub for autumn colour.
Groundcover
Speckled Spur-flower Plectranthus ciliatus
Spoorsalie · Spurflower
Purple-backed leaves for coastal shade. Frost will cut it — use as an annual filler inland.
Succulent
Soap Aloe Aloe maculata
Sepaalwyn · InHlaba
Spotted leaves and branched coral inflorescences. Easy Highveld aloe for mass planting.
Tree
Baobab Adansonia digitata
Kremetart · Ibomvu · Mowana · Ximuwu
Limpopo icon. Fatal in Pretoria frost. Plant only in truly tropical Lowveld gardens with space and time.
MadeleinTuin
Garden Design and Landscaping Services
Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Weekdays 08:00–17:00 · Saturdays by appointment
Monthly garden notes
Seasonal reminders for Pretoria gardens. Unsubscribe whenever you like.
Social links can be added in studio admin.
Concept site for madeleintuin.co.za · Plant notes are original garden guidance with links to open SANBI resources.
Designed by NB · Login
