Our dead climber - Hardenbergia violacea
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382016)
Rockingham, Australia
January 27, 2021 8:34pm CST
The photo shows our native hardenbergia (Hardenbergia violacea) which we planted to hide our large rainwater tank.
Top left shows it in its glory and covered in pale lilac flowers. In the bush, it is often a much deeper purple. The top right photo shows it as it is now. It has died. We will remove it all hopefully within the next few days. You might be able to see some green shoots at the top of the bush and to the rear. That is a honeysuckle which , with luck, might spread to take over where the hardenbergia grew. Behind the tank is our small workshop.
The other two photos were taken in front of the climber. Kangaroos would nibble on the new shoots but never ate enough to kill it. I don’t know why it died. Maybe from lack of water as we never watered it once it got established.
Bottom right you can see how joeys too big to get into the pouch still feed from the doe by standing in front and putting their heads in the pouch to suckle. I didn’t know they fed this away until we came to live here.
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22 responses
@Tampa_girl7 (54715)
• United States
28 Jan 21
That’s a pretty cool photo of the joey nursing 
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@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
28 Jan 21
so saddened y'all lost that beauty, hon. if'n such's like here, e'en the cacti need a drink e'ery now'n then. will keep fingers crossed the honeysuckle does well.
most fascinatin'! i don't reckon i'd heard/read 'bout such either.
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@snowy22315 (208846)
• United States
28 Jan 21
Those kangaroos still look quite fat. I guess like people it sometimes takes them a while to lose the "baby weight." 
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@snowy22315 (208846)
• United States
28 Jan 21
@JudyEv Same with them deer here. As long as they don't venture into them nearby highway, life is good!
3 people like this
@FourWalls (86652)
• United States
28 Jan 21
It was a pretty plant. I hope the honeysuckle takes over, or you can substitute something.
And that is quite fascinating about kangaroos!! Thanks for sharing those pictures and information!!
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@wolfgirl569 (135690)
• Marion, Ohio
28 Jan 21
That last photo caught my attention. I wondered what those 2 were doing 
Looked kind of wrong at first
Looked kind of wrong at first4 people like this
@kaylachan (84760)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
28 Jan 21
Lack of water and attention would do it alright. Planting something and hoping mother nature will take care of the rest, doesn't always work. I hope you can get something to grow in that area instead.
4 people like this
@RasmaSandra (97990)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
28 Jan 21
Poor bush our palm trees here are wilting because we have not had much rain so at least tonight it is raining, I like those kangaroos,
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@Fleura (34989)
• United Kingdom
28 Jan 21
That's a shame, it obviously did well for a while.
Kangaroos are funny. I've seen quite big joeys still managing to squeeze themselves into their mother's pouch with their feet sticking out alongside their nose! I can't help wondering whether it is uncomfortable for the mother.
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@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
28 Jan 21
first those are awesome pictures! did the soil change or the roots get cut?
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@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
28 Jan 21
@JudyEv sounds likely to me. of course I tend to kill plants far quicker than 10 years!
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@erictsuma (9725)
• Mombasa, Kenya
28 Jan 21
Yes water is life and without water both plants and animals can't survive.
If you pour water every day on plants it will became healthy and green too.
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@RebeccasFarm (91299)
• United States
28 Jan 21
What a shame I love that honeysuckle. I fondly remember it as a child.
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@JudyEv (382016)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jan 21
Honeysuckle has a lovely perfume. I like 'something-I-can't-remember-the-name-of' too but Vince doesn't like the strong smell of it. Not that it would be anywhere near the house. It has little white flowers. Don't you hate it when you can't remember the name of something?
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@moffittjc (128834)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Jan 21
It will be really nice if the honeysuckle takes over and grows as full and thick as the hardenbergia. Maybe give it a little love (and some water) this time! lol
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@moffittjc (128834)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Feb 21
@JudyEv You don't want to leave it to act sort of like a trellis for the honeysuckle?
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@moffittjc (128834)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Feb 21
@JudyEv You have enough trouble with bushfires there already, you don't need to be playing with matches Judy!
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@JudyEv (382016)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Feb 21
@moffittjc There is a trellis underneath all the rubbish. We should just put a match to it but that would be very foolhardy albeit effective.
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@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
29 Jan 21
What caused the hardenbergia to wither and die?
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@JudyEv (382016)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jan 21
@sunrisefan The tank usually overflows soon after the beginning of winter but of course by then the plants are getting watered by the rain.
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@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
30 Jan 21
@JudyEv And to think your rain water tank is just beside it hehehe! It's like that old line I remember (I think this was during Noah's time) which says "water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink" :)
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