Plant of the week

Hardenbergia violacea

This is one of my favorite native creeping plants to design with as it provides so much to our local Brisbane native wildlife. It is commonly called False Sarsaparilla and it grows approximately 2 metres along the ground. It can also grow up a D.I.Y tripod made from reclaimed off cut branches after pruning, so no need to make that trip to Bunnings to buy a trellis or to the dump to drop of the branches ! It flowers in Spring and Summer with a small purple pea-shaped flower. Apart from attracting birds that eat insects it also attracts Fire - tailed resin Bees , common Spring Bees and leafcutter bees use its leaves to create nests. It is a Caterpillar food plant for Lesser Budworms, Common Grass Blue Butterflies, Twig Looper and the Painted Apple Moths.