South Africa

Native plants in Cape Town

74 plants native to this area with Sow catalog pages.

26 of them need no watering beyond Cape Town’s own rainfall

Showing 74 plants

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Trees5

Canopy and structure

Pencil Tree

Euphorbia tirucalli

No watering needed Photo: chiuluan · CC BY 4.0

Senegal Date Palm

Phoenix reclinata

Photo: Shaun Swanepoel · CC BY 4.0

Olive

Olea europaea

No watering needed Photo: Rafael Medina · CC BY 4.0

Pompom Tree

Dais cotinifolia

Photo: Jimmy Whatmore · CC0 1.0

Blue Broom Psoralea

Psoralea pinnata

Photo: Muhammad Uzair Davids · CC BY 4.0

Shrubs28

Backbone planting

Bird of Paradise

Strelitzia reginae

Photo: Jane le Roux · CC BY 4.0

Cape Plumbago Blue Plumbago

Plumbago auriculata

Photo: Michelle Lopez · CC0 1.0

Rose Scented Geranium

Pelargonium graveolens 'Old Fashioned Rose'

Hopseed Bush

Dodonaea viscosa

No watering needed Photo: insiderelic · CC0 1.0

Natal Plum

Carissa macrocarpa

Photo: Leyla · CC BY 4.0

Candelabra Aloe

Aloe arborescens

Photo: Quentin Groom · CC0 1.0

Sprenger's Asparagus Fern

Asparagus densiflorus

Photo: monkeyjodey · CC0 1.0

Cape Honeysuckle

Tecoma capensis

Photo: Bikash Kumar Sahoo · CC BY 4.0

Lion's Tail

Leonotis leonurus

Photo: Shaun Swanepoel · CC BY 4.0

Licorice Plant

Helichrysum petiolare

Photo: Shaun Swanepoel · CC BY 4.0

African Bush Daisy

Euryops pectinatus

Photo: Ray Stewart · CC BY 4.0

Giant Honeyflower

Melianthus major

Photo: flamelily · CC0 1.0

Pink Ice Plant

Oscularia deltoides

No watering needed Photo: Charleen Brunke · CC BY 4.0

African bush daisy

Euryops chrysanthemoides

Photo: Tony Rodd · CC0 1.0

Pencil Tree

Euphorbia tirucalli

No watering needed Photo: chiuluan · CC BY 4.0

Myrtle-Leaf Milkwort

Polygala myrtifolia

No watering needed Photo: Squid Wizard · CC BY 4.0

Common Sunshine Conebush

Leucadendron salignum

Photo: Andrew Gillespie · CC0 1.0

Bitterbuchu

Diosma hirsuta

Photo: Caroline Voget · CC BY 4.0

King Protea

Protea cynaroides

Photo: Marianne Le Roux · CC BY 4.0

Mallow

Anisodontea capensis

No watering needed

Rosea Ice Plant

Drosanthemum floribundum

No watering needed Photo: slick_stan · CC0 1.0

Pink Mink

Protea neriifolia

No watering needed Photo: Nicola van Berkel · CC BY 4.0

Tight Tidy Blue Daisy

Felicia aethiopica 'Tight Tidy'

No watering needed

Swedish Ivy

Plectranthus ecklonii

Photo: Shaun Swanepoel · CC BY 4.0

Pincushion Protea

Leucospermum cordifolium

Photo: Nick Moore · CC0 1.0

Hottentot Fig

Carpobrotus edulis

Photo: Arnim Littek · CC BY 4.0

Blue Broom Psoralea

Psoralea pinnata

Photo: Muhammad Uzair Davids · CC BY 4.0

Sprenger's Asparagus Fern

Asparagus aethiopicus

No watering needed Photo: Shaun Swanepoel · CC BY 4.0

Grasses9

Movement and texture

Papyrus

Cyperus papyrus

Photo: Dave Richardson · CC BY 4.0

Umbrella Plant

Cyperus alternifolius

Photo: Adam J. Searcy · CC BY 4.0

Bermuda Grass

Cynodon dactylon

No watering needed Photo: Arnim Littek · CC BY 4.0

Kangaroo Grass

Themeda triandra

Photo: ianrainbow · CC BY 4.0

Dwarf Umbrella Plant

Cyperus albostriatus 'Nanus'

Common Reed

Phragmites australis

Knobby Club-rush

Ficinia nodosa

Photo: ttsquid · CC BY 4.0

Weeping Lovegrass

Eragrostis curvula

No watering needed Photo: Samuel Cooper · CC BY 4.0

Japanese Blood Grass

Imperata cylindrica

Photo: WATANABE Hitoshi 渡辺仁 · CC BY 4.0

Perennials26

Seasonal colour

Society Garlic

Tulbaghia violacea

No watering needed Photo: Анна Митрошенкова · CC BY 4.0

Red Hot Poker

Kniphofia uvaria

No watering needed Photo: Richard Littauer · CC BY 4.0

Cape Plumbago Blue Plumbago

Plumbago auriculata

Photo: Michelle Lopez · CC0 1.0

African Iris

Dietes bicolor

Photo: Dave Richardson · CC BY 4.0

Edging Lobelia

Lobelia erinus

No watering needed Photo: William Harland · CC BY 4.0

Calla Lily

Zantedeschia aethiopica

Photo: Elias · CC BY 4.0

Spider Plant

Chlorophytum comosum

Photo: Petra Holland · CC BY 4.0

Treasure Flower

Gazania rigens

Photo: Henry de Lange · CC BY 4.0

Fortnight Lily

Dietes grandiflora

Photo: Petra Holland · CC BY 4.0

Rose Scented Geranium

Pelargonium graveolens 'Old Fashioned Rose'

African Lily

Agapanthus praecox

Photo: famkoe · CC0 1.0

Belladonna Lily

Amaryllis belladonna

Photo: Karen Eichholz · CC BY 4.0

Sprenger's Asparagus Fern

Asparagus densiflorus

Photo: monkeyjodey · CC0 1.0

Azure Rush Geranium

Geranium incanum 'Azure Rush'

Eyelash Spur Flower

Plectranthus ciliatus

Photo: Tommy Forrest · CC0 1.0

Cape Forget-me-not

Anchusa capensis

No watering needed Photo: Martjie Fia Fourie · CC BY 4.0

Balloon Plant

Gomphocarpus physocarpus

Photo: AdventureLisa · CC0 1.0

Harlequin Flower

Sparaxis tricolor 'Red'

No watering needed

Painted Lady Gladiolus

Gladiolus carneus

Photo: linkie · CC BY 4.0

Rosea Ice Plant

Drosanthemum floribundum

No watering needed Photo: slick_stan · CC0 1.0

Solar Fire Ursinia

Ursinia anthemoides 'Solar Fire'

No watering needed

Ice Plant

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

No watering needed Photo: Charla · CC BY 4.0

Blood Lily

Haemanthus coccineus

No watering needed Photo: flamelily · CC0 1.0

Sprenger's Asparagus Fern

Asparagus aethiopicus

No watering needed Photo: Shaun Swanepoel · CC BY 4.0

Glory Lily Climbing Lily

Gloriosa superba

Photo: spellecchias · CC0 1.0

Pale smartweed

Persicaria lapathifolia

Photo: Linda Jo Conn · CC BY 4.0

Vines3

Verticals and screens

Cape Plumbago Blue Plumbago

Plumbago auriculata

Photo: Michelle Lopez · CC0 1.0

Cape Honeysuckle

Tecoma capensis

Photo: Bikash Kumar Sahoo · CC BY 4.0

Glory Lily Climbing Lily

Gloriosa superba

Photo: spellecchias · CC0 1.0

Ferns4

Shade and damp

Cretan Brake Fern

Pteris cretica

Photo: WATANABE Hitoshi 渡辺仁 · CC BY 4.0

Leatherleaf Fern

Rumohra adiantiformis

Photo: Hannah Rogers · CC BY 4.0

Southern Maidenhair Fern

Adiantum capillus-veneris

Photo: Martin Purdy · CC BY 4.0

Ladder Brake

Pteris vittata 'Benzilan'

Succulents10

Dry and architectural

Jade Plant

Crassula ovata

No watering needed Photo: ebshupe · CC BY 4.0

Bulbine Lily

Bulbine frutescens

No watering needed Photo: charlie chaviano · CC0 1.0

Variegated Elephant Bush

Portulacaria afra 'Variegata'

No watering needed

Candelabra Aloe

Aloe arborescens

Photo: Quentin Groom · CC0 1.0

Pink Ice Plant

Oscularia deltoides

No watering needed Photo: Charleen Brunke · CC BY 4.0

Baby Sun Rose

Mesembryanthemum cordifolium

Photo: Paweł Sadkowski · CC0 1.0

Coppery Mesemb

Malephora crocea

No watering needed Photo: Quentin Groom · CC0 1.0

Red Pagoda Plant Crassula Red Pagoda

Crassula capitella 'Red Pagoda'

No watering needed

Pig's Ear

Cotyledon orbiculata 'var orbiculata'

No watering needed

Ice Plant

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

No watering needed Photo: Charla · CC BY 4.0

Other native plants2

No growth type given

Falling Stars

Crocosmia aurea

Photo: Bruno - Yolande Zanette · CC BY 4.0

Little White Soldiers

Drimiopsis maculata

Photo: Matthew Fainman · CC BY 4.0

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