South African plants for Cape Town gardens   Trees and Large Shrubs   Scientific name Common name Brief description Indigenous to Cape Town Calcar- eous sand Acid sand Clay Sun Shade Animals Brachylaena discolor Coastal Silver Oak, Kusvaalbos Tough, wind-tolerant shrubby tree to 10 m; underside of leaves white   √ √ √ √   Birds collect seeds to line their nests Buddleja auriculata Weeping Sage, Treursalie Evergreen shrub with weeping shape; sprays of sweetly scented cream flowers   √ √ √ √ √ Flowers attract butterflies Buddleja saligna False olive, Witolienhout Fast growing medium tree 4-7 m; Dark green shiny leaves with grey underside; sweetly scented cream flowers in Spring. (Berg River northwards)   √ √ √   Flowers attract butterflies Buddleja salviifolia Sagewood, Buddleia Large, willowy shrub or small tree to 7 m; sweetly scented white to purple flowers in Spring (Clanwilliam northwards)   √ √ √   Flowers attract butterflies Cunonia capensis Red Alder, Rooiels Tall evergreen tree 20-30 m; glossy compound leaves, showy spikes of white flowers; prefers wet areas √ √ √   √ √     Scientific name Common name Brief description Indigenous to Cape Town Calcar- eous sand Acid sand Clay Sun Shade Animals Curtisia dentata Assegaai Evergreen tree with glossy leaves, 6-12 m; White fruits √   √ √ √ √ Fruit attracts birds Cussonia spicata Common Cabbage Tree, Gewone Kiepersol Attractive fast-growing tree 5-10 m; large bluish green leaves (Swartberg Mts northwards) √ √ √ √     Cussonia thrysiflora Cape Coast Cabbage Tree, Kuskiepersol Low-growing shrub to 5 m with fan-shaped evergreen leaves √ √ √ √ √     Diospyros whyteana Bostolbos, Bladder Nut, Blackwood Small evergreen tree 2-4 m; shiny dark green leaves; papery case around fruit √   √ √ √ √   Diospyros scabrida Hard-Leaved Monkey Plum Small tree 2-3m with glossy, leathery leaves with dense hairs below; Clusters of white flowers in Summer; red fruits encased in calyx   √ √ √ √       Scientific name Common name Brief description Indigenous to Cape Town Calcar- eous sand Acid sand Clay Sun Shade Animals Ekebergia capensis Cape Ash, Essenhout Evergreen shade tree to 10 m; dark, glossy compound leaves; red berries in late Summer   √ √ √ √   Berries attract birds Ficus natalensis Natal Fig, Natalvy Wind-tolerant shade tree to 12 m; small, dark green, glossy leaves; bears small figs in Spring   √ √ √ √   Fruit attracts birds Gymnosporia buxifolia (previously Maytenus heterophylla) Common Spike-Thorn, Gewone Pendoring Shrub or small tree to 5 m; Sharp spines, clusters of leaves; heads of whitish flowers followed by greenish-yellow fruits. Good coastal plant.   √ √ √ √   Fruit attracts birds Leucospermum conocarpodendron Grey Tree Pincushion, Vaalkreupelhout Large rounded shrub to 5 m; yellow pincushion flowers from Spring to Summer √   √ √ √   Flowers attract sunbirds Loxystylis alata Wild pepper tree, Teerhout Small evergreen tree to 4 m; bunches of pink flowers (Van Stadens Mts to KZN)   √ √ √       Scientific name Common name Brief description Indigenous to Cape Town Calcar- eous sand Acid sand Clay Sun Shade Animals Olea europaea spp. africana Wild Olive, Olienhout Small drought-tolerant tree to 8 m; narrow grey-green leaves; black berries; good windbreak √ √ √ √ √   Fruit attracts birds Pittosporum viridiflorum Pittosporum, Kasuur Small tree 4-8 m with bright green leaves; good hedge plant; scented greenish flowers in Summer (Swellendam northwards) √ √ √ √   Fruit attracts birds Podalyria calyptrata Sweetpea Bush, Keurtije Shrub to 3 m with grey-green leaves; scented lilac sweetpea flowers in Spring √ √ √ √ √   Flowers attract carpenter bees Podocarpus latifolius Real Yellowwood, Opregtegeelhout Straight tree 5-20 m; leathery, blue-green, glossy leaves √ √ √ √ √   fruits attract birds & bats Psychotria capensis Bird Berry, Voëlbessiebos Shrub 2-4 m; glossy leaves; yellow flowers; red berries (Knysna northwards)   √ √   √ Fruit attracts birds   Scientific name Common name Brief description Indigenous to Cape Town Calcar- eous sand Acid sand Clay Sun Shade Animals Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus Kershout Multi-stemmed tree or shrub to 7 m. Glossy green leaves are red when young. Creamy white flowers and orange fruit. Good for coastal gardens. √ √ √ √ √   Fruit attracts birds Sideroxylon inerme White Milkwood, Witmelkhout Slow-growing, hardy tree 4-8 m; dense, glossy leaves; flowers have an unpleasant smell √ √ √ √ √   Fruit attracts birds Syzygium cordatum Waterberry, Waterbessie, Umdoni Fast-growing, wind-tolerant tree 5-10 m; dark green leaves; sweet scented white flowers in Summer; large red berries in Autumn   √ √ √ √   Fruit attract birds like bulbuls and starlings Tarchonanthus camphoratus Camphor Tree Kanferboom Very hardy, shrubby tree 4-6 m; camphor-scented leaves and white flowers √ √ √ √ √   Fruit used by birds to line nests Virgilia oroboides Keurboom, Blossom Tree Fast-growing tree to 8 m; scented pink pea-flowers in Spring & Summer √   √ √ √   Flowers attract carpenter bees