Fraser Island creeper

Fraser Island creeper (which I’ve just started to see be referred to as K’gari Creeper) is less of a creeper and more of a climber. In horticultural terms, it’s described as a liana, which is a woody vine that twines its way up a tree. Fraser Island creeper (Tecomanthe Hillii) will happily climb 10m! It’s certainly not a lightweight either, so if you plant one at home make sure you send it up a well established tree or a good solid trellis. That being said it’s not exactly a rampant grower like some of its cousins (native jasmine / Pandorea and the orange trumpet vine / Pyrostegia venusta), so it’s easy to tame.

As the name suggests it is found natively on K’gari and also in a few other isolated locations in Queensland. It has glossy green leaves all year round and in winter and spring produces beautiful clusters of large, pink, trumpet shaped flowers, borne on the more woody parts of the vine, as opposed to on the newer tendrils The flowers are creamy coloured on the inside with darker pink bracts - the depth of colour is one of things that I think makes them outstanding. The trumpets do hang downwards though, so luckily it’s a climber or it would be rather awkward to get the best view!

Growing naturally on the world’s biggest sand island, you can surmise that it loves great drainage! They do like some regular water but it’s best to let plants dry out a little in between watering (definitely not a problem in my sandy garden). Happy in full sun or partial shade, the ones in a shady spot will just be a little more leggy.

This is definitely a stunner to include in your garden - as a rainforest plant on a sandy island, it’s clearly very versatile (just think that through for a second - K’Gari is the only place in the world where rainforests grow on sand dunes!). From a tropical garden to a cottage garden and even a native garden, Fraser Island Creeper should be on your list.