White Out Hardenbergia

White Out Hardenbergia is the white flowered form of the native purple coral pea, for covering a fence, bank or retaining wall fast and cheaply. Hardenbergia violacea 'White Out' twines to about 2m on a support, or scrambles 2m across the ground without one, then smothers itself in pure white pea flowers in late winter and early spring when little else is out.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers when nothing else does. The white reads cleanly against the dark glossy leaves.
• Climber or groundcover. Twines to 2m on wires or a trellis, or runs flat across a slope with nothing to climb.
• Fast and cheap coverage. A bare fence or bank covers over in a season or two, and multi-plant packs make a large area affordable.
• A hardy Australian native. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, salt tolerant and unbothered by poor soil, so difficult sites are its natural territory.

Where it works best

Slopes, walls and mass planting. Plant 1m apart in a staggered grid rather than rows. Stems root where they touch damp soil, so the planting binds a slope as it covers it, with complete cover in two seasons.

Screening a fence. On wires or mesh it softens a steel or pool fence to about 2m, without the weight or root problems of a woody climber.

Growing White Out Hardenbergia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, though sun gives far heavier flowering. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate, subtropical and Mediterranean gardens and is frost hardy once established. In humid tropical gardens the wet season is the limiting factor.

Soil. Free draining, and deliberately poor. It is a legume that fixes its own nitrogen, so rich soil gives lush growth and few flowers. Sand, gravel and thin clay all work.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. Feed a low phosphorus native fertiliser once in early spring; standard garden fertilisers can damage native legumes.

Pruning. Trim straight after flowering, by up to a third, to keep it dense and stop the base going woody. It reshoots from old wood, so a neglected plant can be cut back hard.

What to expect when it arrives

Three sizes are grown: 140mm pots in packs of ten, 200mm pots in packs of six, and single 300mm plants. Ten 140mm plants at 1m spacing cover ten metres of bank or fence. The 200mm plants are a season ahead, and the 300mm plants are usually already twining, which suits a pot or a feature position.

Climbing growth is soft, so plants travel with stems tied and may arrive tangled. Untie them, plant within a few days and tie the leaders to their support. Expect cover from the second season and full flowering the winter after planting. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Softening fences and retaining walls with planting.
• Browse the full climber range.
• Plants for retaining walls and slopes.
• Australian natives with the same low phosphorus needs.

Common questions

Is it a climber or a groundcover?

Both. With wires, mesh or a trellis it twines to around 2m; with nothing to climb it scrambles flat and spreads about 2m.

When does it flower?

Late winter through early spring, typically August into September in southern Australia and a little earlier in the subtropics. The display lasts about six weeks.

Why is mine growing well but not flowering?

Usually too much shade or too much fertiliser. It needs sun for a heavy display, and as a legume it resents phosphorus, which drives leaf growth at the expense of flowers.