Garden plants for South Africa
232 plants that appear on garden plant lists for South Africa: vegetables, herbs, fruit, flowers, shrubs and trees that gardeners there commonly grow, native or introduced. Each links to a growing guide with spacing, sun, water, hardiness, toxicity and sources.
South Africa spans more than one climate. Being on this list does not mean a plant suits your own site: check its hardiness and water needs against your local conditions, and avoid plants listed as invasive in your area.
Plan a garden with these plants →
Vegetables (34)
- Amaranth (leaf, callaloo) Amaranthus tricolor
- Beetroot Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris
- Bell pepper Capsicum annuum
- Bottle gourd Lagenaria siceraria
- Broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica
- Bush bean Phaseolus vulgaris
- Butternut squash Cucurbita moschata
- Cabbage Brassica oleracea var. capitata
- Carrot Daucus carota subsp. sativus
- Cauliflower Brassica oleracea var. botrytis
- Cherry tomato Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme
- Chili pepper Capsicum annuum (hot types)
- Collard greens Brassica oleracea var. viridis
- Common ice plant (crystalline ice plant) Mesembryanthemum crystallinum · invasive in some regions
- Cowpea (black-eyed pea) Vigna unguiculata
- Cucumber Cucumis sativus
- Garden pea Pisum sativum
- Garlic Allium sativum
- Lettuce Lactuca sativa
- Livingstone potato (Zulu round potato) Coleus esculentus
- Marama bean (gemsbok bean) Tylosema esculentum
- Okra Abelmoschus esculentus
- Onion Allium cepa
- Peanut Arachis hypogaea
- Potato Solanum tuberosum
- Pumpkin Cucurbita maxima / C. pepo
- Radish Raphanus sativus
- Spinach Spinacia oleracea
- Sweet corn Zea mays var. saccharata
- Sweet potato Ipomoea batatas
- Swiss chard Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (Cicla)
- Tomato Solanum lycopersicum
- Watermelon Citrullus lanatus
- Zucchini (courgette) Cucurbita pepo
Herbs (6)
- African wormwood (wilde-als, umhlonyane) Artemisia afra
- Basil Ocimum basilicum
- Coriander (cilantro) Coriandrum sativum
- Mint Mentha spicata
- Parsley Petroselinum crispum
- Rosemary Salvia rosmarinus
Fruit (23)
- Avocado Persea americana
- Cape gooseberry (goldenberry) Physalis peruviana
- Common fig Ficus carica
- Dwarf apple tree Malus domestica
- Grapefruit Citrus x paradisi
- Grapevine Vitis vinifera
- Japanese plum Prunus salicina
- Kei apple (umkokola) Dovyalis caffra
- Kiwano (horned melon, jelly melon) Cucumis metuliferus · invasive in some regions
- Lemon tree (dwarf) Citrus limon
- Marula Sclerocarya birrea
- Masuku (wild loquat, mahobohobo) Uapaca kirkiana
- Mobola plum (hissing tree, muhacha) Parinari curatellifolia
- Passion fruit Passiflora edulis
- Peach Prunus persica
- Pomegranate Punica granatum
- Prickly pear (nopal) Opuntia ficus-indica · invasive in some regions
- Spiny monkey orange (umhlala) Strychnos spinosa
- Strawberry Fragaria x ananassa
- Strawberry guava (cattley guava, araçá) Psidium cattleianum · invasive in some regions
- Sweet orange Citrus x sinensis
- Wild custard apple (African custard apple) Annona senegalensis
- Wild medlar (mmilo, umviyo) Vangueria infausta
Flowers (48)
- African flag (chasmanthe) Chasmanthe floribunda · invasive in some regions
- African iris Dietes grandiflora
- Agapanthus Agapanthus praecox
- Angel’s fishing rod (wand flower) Dierama pulcherrimum
- Bacopa (sutera) Chaenostoma cordatum
- Barberton daisy (gerbera) Gerbera jamesonii
- Bird of paradise Strelitzia reginae
- Black-eyed Susan vine Thunbergia alata · invasive in some regions
- Blue marguerite (blue daisy) Felicia amelloides
- Blue water lily (blue lotus of Egypt) Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea
- Bougainvillea Bougainvillea glabra
- Bower vine (bower of beauty) Pandorea jasminoides
- Bugle lily (watsonia) Watsonia borbonica · invasive in some regions
- Burn jelly plant (stalked bulbine) Bulbine frutescens
- Bush lily (clivia) Clivia miniata
- Calla lily (arum lily) Zantedeschia aethiopica · invasive in some regions
- Cape daisy (osteospermum) Dimorphotheca ecklonis
- Cape sundew Drosera capensis · invasive in some regions
- Edging lobelia Lobelia erinus
- English lavender Lavandula angustifolia
- Firewheel (Indian blanket) Gaillardia pulchella
- Flame lily (gloriosa) Gloriosa superba
- Freesia Freesia refracta hybrids · invasive in some regions
- French lavender Lavandula stoechas · invasive in some regions
- French marigold Tagetes patula
- Garden rose Rosa x hybrida
- Geranium (Pelargonium) Pelargonium x hortorum
- Giant carrion flower (starfish flower) Stapelia gigantea
- Gladiolus Gladiolus x hortulanus
- Green ixia (turquoise ixia) Ixia viridiflora
- Guernsey lily (nerine) Nerine bowdenii
- Harlequin flower Sparaxis tricolor · invasive in some regions
- Lady Banks’ rose (Banksian rose) Rosa banksiae
- Montbretia (crocosmia) Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora · invasive in some regions
- Mother of thousands (devil’s backbone) Kalanchoe daigremontiana · invasive in some regions
- Paddle plant (flapjacks) Kalanchoe thyrsiflora
- Pentas (Egyptian starcluster) Pentas lanceolata
- Petunia Petunia x hybrida
- Queen’s tears (friendship plant) Billbergia nutans
- Red-and-green kangaroo paw (Mangles’ kangaroo paw) Anigozanthos manglesii
- Red disa (Pride of Table Mountain) Disa uniflora
- Red hot poker Kniphofia uvaria
- Snake vine (climbing guinea flower) Hibbertia scandens
- Society garlic (wild garlic) Tulbaghia violacea
- Sunflower Helianthus annuus
- Treasure flower (gazania) Gazania rigens · invasive in some regions
- White ginger lily Hedychium coronarium · invasive in some regions
- ZZ plant (Zanzibar gem) Zamioculcas zamiifolia
Shrubs (49)
- Bitter aloe (Cape aloe) Aloe ferox
- Bunny ears cactus (polka-dot cactus) Opuntia microdasys · invasive in some regions
- Cape honeysuckle Tecoma capensis · invasive in some regions
- Cape leadwort (plumbago) Plumbago auriculata
- Century plant (agave) Agave americana · invasive in some regions
- Common pagoda Mimetes cucullatus
- Common sugarbush Protea repens
- Coral aloe Aloe striata
- Crimson bottlebrush Melaleuca citrina
- Fire heath Erica cerinthoides
- Foxtail agave (spineless century plant) Agave attenuata
- Gardenia Gardenia jasminoides
- Geraldton wax Chamelaucium uncinatum
- Golden dewdrop (sky flower, duranta) Duranta erecta · invasive in some regions
- Golden leather fern (piai raya) Acrostichum aureum
- Grey-leaved euryops (resin bush) Euryops pectinatus
- Heath banksia Banksia ericifolia
- Honeybush (heuningbos) Cyclopia intermedia
- Jade plant Crassula ovata
- Japanese mock orange (pittosporum) Pittosporum tobira
- Karoo cycad Encephalartos lehmannii
- King protea Protea cynaroides
- Krantz aloe (candelabra aloe) Aloe arborescens
- Lemon-scented tea tree Leptospermum petersonii
- Lion's tail (wild dagga) Leonotis leonurus
- Madagascar palm Pachypodium lamerei
- Mountain aloe (Marloth’s aloe) Aloe marlothii
- Natal plum (num-num, amatungulu) Carissa macrocarpa
- Native lilac hibiscus (blue hibiscus) Alyogyne huegelii
- Old man saltbush Atriplex nummularia
- Oleander Nerium oleander
- Oleander-leaf protea Protea neriifolia
- Pencil tree (firesticks, milk bush) Euphorbia tirucalli
- Pig’s ear (round-leaved navelwort) Cotyledon orbiculata
- Pincushion hakea Hakea laurina
- Pincushion protea Leucospermum cordifolium
- Pink breath of heaven (confetti bush) Coleonema pulchellum
- Pulque agave (maguey pulquero) Agave salmiana
- Queen Victoria agave Agave victoriae-reginae
- Rooibos (red bush) Aspalathus linearis
- Round-leaf buchu Agathosma betulina
- Silver jade plant (silver dollar plant) Crassula arborescens
- Spekboom (elephant bush) Portulacaria afra
- Spiral aloe Aloe polyphylla
- Tree pelargonium Pelargonium cucullatum
- Weeping bottlebrush Melaleuca viminalis
- Whorled heath Erica verticillata
- Yellow bells (yellow trumpetbush) Tecoma stans · invasive in some regions
- Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow (manacá) Brunfelsia pauciflora
Trees (54)
- African baobab Adansonia digitata
- Apple-ring acacia (winter thorn, ana tree) Faidherbia albida
- Brush box Lophostemon confertus
- Camphor tree Cinnamomum camphora · invasive in some regions
- Candelabra tree (naboom) Euphorbia ingens
- Cape chestnut Calodendrum capense
- Common coral tree (lucky-bean tree, umsinsi) Erythrina lysistemon
- Cootamundra wattle Acacia baileyana · invasive in some regions
- Eastern Cape giant cycad Encephalartos altensteinii
- Fever tree (yellow-barked acacia) Vachellia xanthophloea
- Firewheel tree (wheel of fire) Stenocarpus sinuatus
- Giant white bird of paradise Strelitzia nicolai
- Golden trumpet tree (ipĂŞ-amarelo) Handroanthus chrysotrichus
- Golden wattle Acacia pycnantha · invasive in some regions
- Illawarra flame tree Brachychiton acerifolius
- Jacaranda Jacaranda mimosifolia · invasive in some regions
- Jackalberry (African ebony, jakkalsbessie) Diospyros mespiliformis
- Lacy tree fern (Cooper’s tree fern) Sphaeropteris cooperi · invasive in some regions
- Lemon-scented gum Corymbia citriodora
- Macadamia Macadamia integrifolia
- Mangrove apple (perepat) Sonneratia alba
- Monterey cypress Hesperocyparis macrocarpa
- Monterey pine (radiata pine) Pinus radiata · invasive in some regions
- Mopane (butterfly tree) Colophospermum mopane
- Mountain cabbage tree Cussonia paniculata
- Narrow-leaved paperbark (tea tree, source of tea tree oil) Melaleuca alternifolia
- Norfolk Island pine Araucaria heterophylla
- Olive Olea europaea
- Orchid tree (mountain ebony) Bauhinia variegata · invasive in some regions
- Oriental mangrove (tumu) Bruguiera gymnorhiza · invasive in some regions
- Pecan Carya illinoinensis
- Pepper-bark tree (isibhaha) Warburgia salutaris
- Peruvian pepper tree Schinus molle · invasive in some regions
- Pōhutukawa (NZ Christmas tree) Metrosideros excelsa · invasive in some regions
- Putat sungai (freshwater mangrove) Barringtonia racemosa
- Queen palm (jerivá) Syagrus romanzoffiana · invasive in some regions
- Queensland bottle tree Brachychiton rupestris
- Quiver tree (kokerboom) Aloidendron dichotomum
- Real yellowwood Podocarpus latifolius
- Red-flowering gum Corymbia ficifolia
- River red gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis · invasive in some regions
- Sausage tree (worsboom, muvevha) Kigelia africana
- Silk floss tree Ceiba speciosa
- Silky oak (southern silky oak) Grevillea robusta · invasive in some regions
- Silver tree (witteboom) Leucadendron argenteum
- Silver wattle (mimosa) Acacia dealbata · invasive in some regions
- Tasmanian blue gum Eucalyptus globulus · invasive in some regions
- Tree aloe (Barber’s aloe) Aloidendron barberae
- Weeping boer-bean (huilboerboon) Schotia brachypetala
- Wild almond Brabejum stellatifolium
- Wild date palm (Senegal date palm) Phoenix reclinata
- Wild pear (drolpeer) Dombeya rotundifolia
- Wood's cycad Encephalartos woodii
- Yew plum pine (inumaki) Podocarpus macrophyllus
Grasses (4)
- Broom reed (restio) Elegia capensis
- Pampas grass Cortaderia selloana · invasive in some regions
- Papyrus Cyperus papyrus
- Sugarcane Saccharum officinarum
Groundcovers (14)
- Aloe vera Aloe vera
- Baseball plant (living baseball) Euphorbia obesa
- Cast-iron plant (haran) Aspidistra elatior
- Common staghorn fern (elkhorn fern) Platycerium bifurcatum
- Creeping boobialla Myoporum parvifolium
- Hardy ice plant Delosperma cooperi
- Hottentot fig (sour fig, ice plant) Carpobrotus edulis · invasive in some regions
- Inch plant (silver inch plant, wandering dude) Tradescantia zebrina · invasive in some regions
- Living stones (Leslie’s lithops) Lithops lesliei
- Mistletoe cactus Rhipsalis baccifera
- Spider plant Chlorophytum comosum
- String of pearls Curio rowleyanus
- Trailing ice plant (vygie) Lampranthus spectabilis
- Zebra haworthia (zebra plant) Haworthiopsis attenuata
Reference values for planning, not horticultural, veterinary or medical advice. Varieties, soils and local climates differ: check with a local nursery or extension service.