Hardenbergia violacea close up.
This is the Hardengergia violaceae or komachi-fuji in the pea or legume family.
The name Hardenbergia honors Franziska Countess von Hardenberg, a 19th century Austrian patron of botany.
‘Happy Wanderer’ a.k.a. known as the Purple Vine Lilac or Australian Sarsparilla or False Sarasparilla. There are three species in Australia, growing in areas from Queensland to Tasmania.
It is an evergreen vine that climbs by twining stems.
Purple flowers or pink flower varieties are available. They cascade like small Wisteria blossoms in the winter to early spring and are very pretty. But they also have a tendency to run up a wall or fence and ball at the top.
They like sunny or semi-shaded positions but flower better in full sun. It needs well drained soil however and a frost free site. Very hardy plant that requires little water once established.
I made the mistake of planting one as I started out our new garden. A year later, the vine had twined itself into hardwood around the fence and needed to be sawed off the fence. Not only did it have a stranglehold, its tap root system was also so invasive and difficult to get rid off, we have been pulling out bits of it three years later.
Reference: San Marcos Growers
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