Wonga Wonga vine
You may be familiar with our native bower vine or bower of beauty, Pandorea jasminoides, with its soft glossy green leaves and loose, open, pink or white trumpet like flowers, often with a darker pink center. Have you heard of it’s relative, the wonga wonga vine though (Pandorea pandorana)? It’s also sometimes just called the wonga vine, but wonga wonga is better I think you’ll agree. It has very similar foliage, but boasts smaller flowers that are more tubular and comes in shades of creamy yellow to pink. I have had mine for a few years now and it has FINALLY FLOWERED. I was a little unsure what the flowers would look like, only judging by the not particularly clear photo on the nursery tag but I am very happy. I suspect the plant heard me say that if it doesn’t flower soon I just might replace it… Although the leaves are simply lustrous in their own right, the plant is quite vigorous and requires regular tipping and tucking to keep it to its designated location so if it wasn’t going to give me flowers…. I’m sure I would have found a better behaved replacement!
Not the biggest spray of flowers but flowers none the less.
Alas it shall stay though. I’m hoping the mere smattering of flowers I got this year will be improved upon next year.
Whilst the bower vine is endemic to the East coast of Australia, the wonga wonga vine is found throughout Australia and other Pacific islands, from the wetter coastlines to the drier interior and is quite tolerant of most conditions. It will grow in full sun or shadier areas and is drought tolerant once established. Try as I might I cannot find out where the name wonga wonga comes from, but I suspect it’s based on the Aboriginal language and that it may have other common names elsewhere!
It is a member of the Bignoniaceae family - along with Jacaranda, Tabbebuia (trumpet trees), Radermachera, orange trumpet vine (Pyrostegia venusta) and Fraser island creeper (Tecomanthe Hillii).
Various cultivars exist, bred for different flower colours, and is the perfect plant to quickly cover a shed or fence!