Hardy pea

Spreading shrub up to 2.5 metres tall widespread in woodland and eucalypt forest. Leaves compound, to 10 cm long, leaflets usually 11-25, sometimes but rarely as few as 5, oblong to elliptic, 10-40 mm long. Pods terete (straightish, long and narrow) to 45 mm long, more or less hairless with several seeds. Inflorescences (flowering parts) to 15 cm long, petals mauve. A hardy, attractive pea, needs good drainage, somewhat ephemeral, but capable of withstanding dry conditions.

Tubestock and flowers. Photo: Robert Whyte

Host plant

Host plant for the Large Grass-yellow Eurema hecabe and Common Grass-blue Zizina labradus butterflies. Large Grass-yellow caterpillars, initially a uniform pale green, later are green with a white band along each side edged with yellow, and are covered in short hairs. The upper surface of each wing of the adult butterfly is yellow with a black band around the edge, which has a characteristic double indentation on each forewing. The species is noteworthy for having the most synonyms (32) of all the named species of Australian Lepidoptera (Herbison-Evans & Crossley).

Large Grass-yellow butterfly. Photo: BOIC website

Seed collecting and propagation

Collect the seed pods from late spring to summer. Pods are terete (straightish, long and narrow) to 45 mm long, more or less hairless with several seeds. Place the seeds in boiling water for 30 seconds then refresh in iced water. Germination takes 1 to 4 weeks.

Seed pods. Photo: Robert Whyte