Common names "Native Wisteria", Native Lilac", "Native Coral Pea", "False Sarsaparilla".

Hardenbergia after Franziska Countess von Hardenberg, a 19th century patroness of Botany, violacea for violet.

Have you seen this beautiful little shrub or climber flowering in gardens or the bush during mid winter and through into spring?  A member of the Pea Family, Fabaceae, it is widespread throughout South Eastern Australia from Southern Queensland, through NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and of course South Australia.

The flowers are normally purple, but pink and white forms can be found naturally.  Most plants growing in the bush are semi shrub/twiners, that can look great tumbling over logs and twining gently in other shrubs.

Hardenbergia violacea alba

These Hardenbergias grow in a wide range of conditions, they will tolerate heavy soils, and partial shade, but flower best in full sun.  They will last longer and flower better if you prune them hard after they have finished flowering.

H. violacea pink and purple planted together.

You may have seen the vigorous climber Hardenbergia "Happy Wanderer", a registered cultivar that flowers profusely with dark purple racemes for up to two months over late winter.  It does best on a support such as a fence, trellis or pergola, and is a true climber.  It too will be better for pruning after flowering, this stops it from getting woody.  Other climbing cultivars you may find are H. violacea "Free 'n Easy", which has white flowers with touches of pink.  You may also come across H. violacea "Strawberry Shake", a pink climber.

The cultivar forms need to be propagated from cuttings, but the purple, pink and white forms of Hardenbergia violacea grow readily from seed that needs to be treated as for others seeds in the Pea family.

Hardenbergia violacea "Happy Wanderer"

All the colour forms of Hardenbergia violacea really brighten up the winter garden, so plant some in yours!

A lighter, almost blue form of H.violacea.