- Twining shrub or climber.
- Size: varies depending on supporting plants of structures it is growing on.
- Leaves: 3 and sometimes rarely 5 foliate. Leaflets are 4 – 6 cm long.
- Flowers: blue to purple and in some cases white. Typical "pea" shape consisting of 5 petals; the "standard", the "keel" (2 fused petals) and two "wings". Flowers are in an often drooping, elongate cluster
- Fruit/seed: an explosive pea-like pod.
What to Observe
- First fully open single flower
- Full flowering (record all days)
- End of flowering (when 95% of the flowers have faded)
- Open seed pods (record all days)
ClimateWatch Science Advisor
We expect plants to start shooting and flowering earlier in the year as a result of climate change warming the Earth. They may also start appearing in new areas, as warmer temperatures enable them to live in environments that were previously too cold for them.
When To Look
- Flowering from July to October
- When the seeds are mature the dry, pea-like pods open explosively with a loud crack, throwing the seeds many metres. Listen for exploding Hardenbergia pods on hot summer days
Where To Look
- Near the coast of south-west WA and in NSW.
- Ranging from just south of Geraldton to Albany in WA.
- Central NSW.
- Look in Sandy soils near coastal limestone, sandplains and dunes.
Where To Look
Maps of Habitat Suitability
of occurrence (RCP 8.5)
|Species range change from
current to 2070 probability
Above, the left and middle maps show the modelled habitat suitability for the the species under current and potential future climate conditions. The colours indicate the predicted habitat suitability from low (white) to high (dark red).
The future habitat suitability is modelled for the year 2070 under a climate change scenario that represents 'business as usual' (RCP 8.5). The map on the right shows how the range of the species might change between now and 2070, with orange areas indicating where the species might disappear, green areas where the species range might expand, and blue areas where the habitat is predicted to be suitable for the species now and in the future.
The models for this species were run in the Biodiversity and Climate Change Virtual Laboratory. Please note that while models can be very informative, they are only a representation of the real world and thus should always be viewed with caution. You can read more about the science behind these models here.
Nevill et al. 2005. Guide to the Wildlife of the Perth Region. Simon Nevill Publications, Perth, Western Australia.
Did You Know?
Hardenbergia after Franziska Countess von Hardenberg.
Comptoniana after Mary, 1st Marchioness of Northampton whose husband was Charles Compton.
When the seeds are mature the dry, pea-like pods open explosively with a loud crack, throwing the seeds many metres. Listen for exploding Hardenbergia pods on hot summer days