Meema™
Hardenbergia violacea 'HB1' PBR
Hardebergia cultivars
By Nathan Dutschke
Hardenbergia is one of the most well known native Australian species. For many years Hardenbergia has been widely grown and the variety ‘Happy Wanderer’ has been one of the most recognisable varieties and pretty much brought Hardenbergia into the mainstream market many years ago.
Hardenbergia violacea can actually be quite a variable species. Different forms can climb, trail or have a more upright shrubby habit. Choosing forms which trail or climb means you can also use them as a great groundcover. ‘Happy Wanderer’ can spread 2 metres or more along the ground giving you a fast quick growing ground cover alternative, unfortunately it can also be a little short lived, basically growing itself out of energy. If you do use ‘Happy Wanderer’ in this fashion it is best not to plant them amongst other young plants as they will eventually spread across and climb over the top of them. Climbing varieties are great for hiding ugly fences or for using on trellises and pergolas, they are also suitable for a pot or a container. Just trim them after flowering to maintain shape and to encourage new growth.
Hardenbergia violacea is generally a very hardy plant, being able to cope with dry conditions and some frosts. They are adaptable in most soils and aspects but will prefer a well drained soil and a sunny to semi shaded position. Sunnier positions will usually result in better flowering and you can look forward to viewing the spectacular masses of pea like flowers through winter and into spring. Most Hardenbergia varieties produce beautiful purple coloured flowers but there are also white and pink flowering forms of the species but the pink does not seem to be as strong as the others. There is a new variety released by Austraflora named ‘Happy Duo’ a climbing variety producing stunning purple and lavender-suffused white flowers from late autumn to spring.
Some of the shrubby forms of Hardenbergia are very useful for mass plantings, rock gardens, retaining walls and banks for home gardens and larger landscapes. There are some good shrubby forms on the market such as ‘Bushy Blue’, ‘Purple Spray’ and ‘Regent’ which can grow from 60cm tall (‘Bushy Blue’) to 1.5m tall (‘Regent’). ‘Mini Haha’ is a compact dwarf form but it is not as robust as other types and if used in general landscaping it is short lived. This has been the case with other Hardenbergia types used in low maintenance landscape applications, they do not keep clean foliage, tend to burn, go backwards and eventually die out when the going gets tough. A new Variety named ‘Meema’ has been extensively tested for use in the landscape and has been bred to withstand adverse conditions, including unlike most others in heavier soils. ‘Meema’ is a shrubby longer lived ground cover form which has a very tidy appearance, great form and crisp, clean foliage and flowers weeks longer. ‘Meema’ will grow to approximately 450mm tall with a 2 metre spread which is ideal for outcompeting weeds and creating a ground cover with a shrubby appearance. Like ‘Bushy Blue’ and ‘Purple Spray’, ‘Meema’ also has the ability to climb up things if allowed to, all be it not as vigorous as the true climbing varieties, which is not a bad thing. Pruned annually ‘Meema’ can be kept as a shrub form.
Hardenbergia’s provide you with fantastic winter flower colour and new cultivars are producing differences in flower colour and also improved landscape plants such as Hardenbergia ‘Meema’. Hardenbergia violacea is a widespread species that grows successfully all over Australia so keep an eye out for some of the new and improved varieties and the old favourites like ‘Happy Wanderer’ which is synonymous with Hardenbergia. |
Meema
Meema
Meema