A little bit about hardenbergia

It’s hard not to love this tough, evergreen native. Named after Franziska Countess von Hardenberg, a 19th century Austrian botany patron, a hardenbergia will adapt to almost any spot you put it in. Its deep green, leathery leaves and pea-shaped clusters of flowers are loved by birds and butterflies too.

 

Botanical name: Australian sarsaparilla

Other names: false sarsaparilla, purple coral pea

Height up to 2 metres Width: 2 - 3 metres

Ideal position: Hardenbergias happily grow in full sun or part shade, but flower better in a sunny position. They like moist soil, which is well-drained and lime-free. Hardenbergia can tolerate light frost.

Suitable spots: You can grow hardenbergia virtually anywhere, from your garden or balcony (trained on an obelisk) to a large container. Its branches grow around other plants, but are not destructive, so you can embrace it as a twining creeper. Because it's low-growing, it makes for great groundcover. It's also a climbing and trailing plant, so it’s perfect for hiding unsightly fences and walls. Hardenbergia is even useful for soil binding, to support unstable soil. There's not much this versatile plant can't do!

Flowers: Lavender-blue, violet, pale pink and white flowers from late winter to early spring.

 

Varieties available instore

Happy Wanderer: Featuring lilac flowers, this is the most popular variety.

Free ‘n’ Easy: Enjoy a mass of white flowers tinged with lavender-pink.

Happy Duo: Can’t decide on white or purple flowers? You can have both, thanks to this blend of Happy Wanderer and Free ‘n’ Easy.

 

Caring tips

FEED

Give your hardenbergia a native controlled-release fertiliser after flowering.

WATER

Water as needed, and give it slightly more water when the plant is flowering and during summer.

PRUNE

Prune often after flowering to keep growth in check.

PROTECT

Scale can be a pest for hardenbergias. Squash or scrape off scale on stems or the underside of leaves. Heavily prune infested growth. For serious infestations, spray with eco-oil.