Bower of Beauty Pandorea

Bower of Beauty (Pandorea jasminoides 'Bower of Beauty') turns a bare fence into something green and flowering faster than almost anything else. It is an Australian native climber that covers about 5m of fence or pergola, roughly 2m wide per plant, with soft pink trumpets carrying a deep rose throat from spring into summer. The foliage is glossy and evergreen, so the screen holds through winter. Planted 1.5m apart it closes into continuous cover within two seasons.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers you can see from the street. Clusters of pink and white trumpets, heaviest in spring, repeating through the warm months.
• Fast without being a problem. It twines around wire and lattice rather than gripping with aerial roots, so it will not mark render and can be unwound when the fence needs painting.
• Evergreen cover. The screen stays dense in winter, which matters if the point of it is blocking a view.
• Handles exposure. Salt tolerant, humidity tolerant and genuinely drought tolerant once established.
• Native and bird attracting. Honeyeaters work the flowers, and older stems give small birds cover.

Where it works best

Fences and boundaries. Run two or three horizontal wires 300mm apart along the fence and plant 1.5m in front of them. Closer spacing does not fill the gap faster, it only makes the base woody.

Pergolas and carports. One plant per post covers a standard bay. Tie the leaders up the post, then let it run across the beams.

Balconies and courtyards. A 400mm pot with a trellis suits apartments where the screening has to be removable.

Growing Bower of Beauty in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering; part shade works but the display drops off. This suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It takes light frost only, so cold inland districts, the tablelands and hard frosting southern gardens need a warm north facing wall or a pot you can shift.

Soil. Not fussy, provided water moves through. On heavy clay, plant on a low mound and dig compost through the whole bed. Mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper to weekly. A complete fertiliser in early spring and again after the main flush keeps growth steady.

Training and pruning. Tie the leading stems where you want them for the first year, or the plant piles up at the base and leaves the top bare. Prune after flowering, and cut back hard to a framework every three or four years.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in 140mm packs of ten, 200mm packs of six and single 300mm pots. The packs suit a fence run, since a 12m boundary takes eight plants at 1.5m spacing. The 300mm size arrives larger and suits a single pergola post, or a pot that has to perform straight away.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect a slow first month while roots establish, then rapid growth in warm weather. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full climbers range
• Compare screening plants for privacy
• Shop Australian native plants
• How to build a vertical garden

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it along a fence?

One and a half metres apart, in a single row in front of wires or lattice. That gives full coverage and keeps the base open enough to water and feed properly.

Will it damage my fence or wall?

No. It twines rather than clinging with aerial roots, so it needs a support and will not pull render or paint off masonry. It does get heavy with age, so build that support properly.

Is it safe around pets?

We list a plant as pet friendly only where that has been confirmed for the species, and this one has not been. If your dog chews plants, choose from our confirmed pet friendly range instead.