Hardenbergia comptoniana 

Location & distribution maps

Phylogeny & links to associated information:

Wikipedia links:       Angiosperms > Eudicots > Rosids  > Fabales > Fabaceae > Faboideae > Hardenbergia  comptoniana

Other links:     

Plant  information

Common name:                Native Wisteria  

• "Native Wisteria" is also also used for Austrocallerya megasperma

• Also known as native lilac, wild sarsaparilla and wild wisteria climber

Conservation status:  ...

Etymology:   

Flowers:                  

• The pea-shaped flowers appear from August to November (Southern Hemisphere late winter to spring) 

• They can range in colour from mauve, to purple to dark blue, with pink and white forms also known

• The two eye spots on the standard are white, in contrast to the light green-yellow spots on H. violacea

• The flowers are arranged in drooping racemes

Fruit:                         

• The flowers are followed by the development of the smooth grey-brown cylindrical seed pods

• They are around 3.5 centimetres long

• The seed pods make an audible 'pop' when they release the seeds

Leaves:         

• Characteristically narrow trifoliate leaves, which distinguish it readily from its closest relative Hardenbergia violacea which has entire leaves

Stem & branches: 

Roots:         

Habit:        

• A  vigorous twining vine

Habitat:   

• It is found on sand dunes and sand plains, and in open forest, on sand- or clay-based soils

• It also grows in forested areas further inland on both sand- and clay-based soils

Distribution:                  

• Native to Western Australia

• Hardenbergia comptoniana is found on the coastal plain from Geraldton to Albany in Western Australia

Additional notes:     

• Taxonomy

  • Henry Cranke Andrews described this species as Glycine comptoniana, naming it for the Lady Northampton 

  • It was in her garden that a specimen had flowered; her surname was Compton

  • It was given its current name in 1837 by George Bentham

• Cultivation

  • It is readily cultivated in the garden, where it does best in a part-shaded position

  • It produces purple flowers in the Southern Hemisphere spring

  • H. comptoniana was brought into cultivation in England in 1810 by the 1st Marchioness of Northampton

  • The plant is fairly vigorous and can cover a 3 by 3 m area in two years, smothering smaller plants it is allowed to grow over

  • Partly shaded positions in the garden are most suitable

  • It is capable of growing high into surrounding trees or can cover fences or trellises rapidly, once established

  • Seed propagation is straightforward, while cuttings can also be struck successfully

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardenbergia_comptoniana (2023)