There is a lack of black in our national floral range, I can think of only three off the top of my head and this striking Kennedia is one of them, this is Kennedia nigricans! the others are Macropedia and a Gastrolobium, if you know of more please let me know.

Kennedia nigricans is a rambunctious climber with large luscious green leaves and amazing black and yellow pea flowers in Winter, apparently it can flower year round, however I have only seen it flower in Winter here in NSW.

Kennedia nigricans is from Western Australia and prefers a well-drained soil with a heavily mulched root system to retain moisture. It will happily grow in full sun or part shade, it does seem to suffer from strong winds and frosts and therefore prefers a protected position.

If the foliage is damaged by the cold or wind it will return quickly with the warmer weather, pruning will also help increase the density of the plant and encourage it to live longer.

This is a very vigorous climber that also does well as a ground cover, reaching 3-4 metres wide or high.
If given a strong structure to climb on Kennedia nigricans makes an excellent screening plant, the tendrils weep along with the flowers giving it a tropical look.

If you have room in your garden this is definitely a plant to give a try, nobody or bird can miss those black and yellow flowers, they are just too unusual!

Comments

4 responses to “Eye catching Kennedia nigricans”

  1. Emily D

    Could you tell me how far to space Kennedia nigricans – I would like to plant two of them along the same wall – with trellis. I hope they cover a 2-3 metre wide space.
    Thank you

    1. Kath Gadd

      Hi Emily,

      Kennedia nigricans is quite a rampant grower, you should easily get 3 metres coverage from one vine,

      Best Wishes,

      Kath

    2. Barb

      Apparently they can cover a 6m diameter as a groundcover. How are they now?

  2. Alasdair

    One more native black flower I can think of is Acrotriche sp. Israelite bay. A rare plant, so probably not found in any gardens.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related posts

Birdbaths designed for birds

Mallee Birdbaths are specifically designed to serve birds. The copper dishes are broad and shallow, allowing birds to land on the edge and walk into the water. The baths are modern, elegant and durable. They are locally made in the Illawarra (NSW, Australia) using materials that will weather well and last decades. For help on which dish to choose, go here.