Scientific Name: Hovea magnibractea
Common Name: sheath purplepea
Family Classification (Clade): Eudicots
Family: Fabaceae
Form Description: Spreading shrub with tough, wiry stems; branchlets densely covered in rusty hairs.
Flowers: Violet blue pea flowers, in leaf axils.
Fruit: Seed pod – oval, inflated, with rust coloured fine hairs. Pods turn from green to black and seeds turn from cream to dark grey when ripe.
Municipality
Plant Communities
Habitat Notes
Very occasional in low alpine heath.
Site Tolerance
Dry, Exposed, Moist, Windy
Soil Tolerance
Fertile, Loam, Nutrient-poor, Well-drained
Frost Tolerance
Hardy
Propagation Calendar
-
Flowering Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Seed Collecting Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Sowing Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Cutting Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Propagation Method
Seed Information
Seed Collection
Seed drops on maturity, so bag fruits, place groundsheets under plants to catch seed, or harvest pods (when brown) and dry.
Seed Treatment Method
Hot Water Hot water is used to soften the hard seed case of some species. This replicates the weathering process. Pour hot (not boiling) water over the seeds and allow them to soak for 4-12 hours.
Seed Treatment Notes
Nicking seed provides best results. Boiling water may also be used but is more damaging than hot water. Dry seed before sowing – seed prone to rotting.
Cutting & Division Information
Cuttings may be slow to form roots.