KENNEDIA. Australia is rich in shrubby and vining peas, and few illustrate the latter as well as the kennedias. They are extremely variable in scale, shape and texture of the leaves, and form and color of the flowers. The smaller species make dense, lush ground covers, while the larger are useful on arbors and trellises or clambering up trees. They are generally easy to grow in sun or light shade, thriving even in poor (but reasonably well drained) soil, with moderate watering. The following should be hardy to around 20^oF.

carinata. This is one of the prettiest of the smaller species. It can be treated as a vine or, if unsupported, allowed to make ground-covering mats up to 6’ broad. The slender stems are closely lined with clover-like, bright green leaves and sprinkled almost continuously with small pea-flowers combining light pink and deep rose.

coccinea. A more vigorous species than the last, with many climbing to trailing stems and mostly rather large, three-parted leaves. The flowers are small, of classic pea shape, clustered at the shoot tips. They combine an orange to red banner with pink wings and yellow markings. A colorful vine or large-scale ground cover.

nigricans. This is a fast growing vine with large, thick leaves divided into broad triplets. The 2" blossoms resemble large wasps, both in form and in their bizarre combination of black-violet and bright yellow.

rubicunda. Another robust vine, probably reaching 20’ or more in time. It has large, broadly divided, dark green leaves. Dark red blossoms 1½" long are clustered along the stems in spring and summer.