Hovea acutifolia is a small to medium upright shrub from 1.5-4 metres tall with mauve/purple flowers in spring. A member of the Fabaceae family, the flowers have the typical “pea” shape consisting of 4 petals; the “standard”, the “keel” and two “wings”. Its natural range is wet forests and rainforest margins from southeast Queensland to the central coast of New South Wales.
Easy to propagate, it is popular with Australian native plant enthusiasts, and has proven to be adaptable in temperate and sub-tropical areas where it prefers well-drained soil in a partly shaded position. This is a very pretty fast growing understory plant. Although relatively short-lived, it will self-seed in the garden in undisturbed areas.
Did you Know?
The genus Hovea consists of around 20 species, all of which are endemic to Australia
The name derives from:
| Hovea… After Anton Hove, a botanical collector acutifolia….From Latin acutus, pointed and folius, a leaf, referring to the leaves which taper to a point. |