Twining Guinea Flower
Twining Guinea Flower is a weak-stemmed scrambler and climber with a bright yellow flower (5-7 cm) followed by a distinctive red fruit. The individual stems can grow from two to five metres in length.
A trailer rather than a thick ground cover, Twining Guinea Flower looks good growing amongst shrubs and trees, or in a rockery. Be warned: it will wrap itself around the trunks of small shrubs if allowed to do so, but is easily kept in checked.
Twining Guinea Flower is a very hardy disease resistant plant that will tolerate salt, wind, full sun, and well-drained soil, making it ideal for gardens adjacent to the beach. It grows in a variety of habitats in Eastern NSW and South East QLD including on the primary dunes at Marcus Beach.
Here are two ways to use Twining Guinea Flower along a pathway. On the left it is planted as an edging plant. On the right grows it vertically, supported by a wire fence and scrambling over the red berried Cordyline stricta.
The silver swirling textures of this aged log provide a beautiful contrast for the shiny green leaves of the Twining Guinea Flower
This article is part of our Gardening with natives series.