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Climber Wall ShrubConservatory Greenhouse

Kennedia nigricans

black bean

A vigorous twining climber with trifoliate, dark green leaves and axillary racemes of blackish-purple pea-like flowers 3cm across, marked yellow on the standard petal, in late winter and spring

Other common names

black coral pea

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Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

H1C

Botanical details

Family: Fabaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Climbing
Genus: Kennedia can be herbaceous or woody, twining climbers with trifoliate leaves and pea-like flowers which may be solitary, in pairs, umbels or racemes in the leaf axils
Name status: Correct
Plant range: W Australia

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow outdoors in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in partial shade in a frost-free area with shelter from cold drying winds. Will grow well in poor sandy soil. Grow under glass in peat-free, loam-based compost with added sharp sand in bright filtered light

Propagation

Propagate by seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal
Low Maintenance
Wall side borders

Pruning

Pruning group 12

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite and glasshouse whitefly under glass

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus in gardens where it is present but insufficient data to determine degree of susceptibility

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