Alas poor Jasmin(oides), I knew her well .... or thought I did

John Carter

Pandorea jasminoides is a vigorous climber from coastal Queensland and northern New South Wales that can grow to the tops of the rainforest canopy. Large tubular flowers are produced mainly in spring and sporadically throughout the year.

Up to the end of summer 2007 my Pandorea jasminoides was happily growing up the drainpipe on the north side of my house. It supplied me with a useful crop of cuttings and, sporadically through the year, produced beautiful pink flowers. In the autumn of 2007, everything changed as the plant started to die back.

I quickly took cuttings in the hope of maintaining a stock of the plant in the full expectation that I wouldn't be successful. Pandorea jasminoides strikes readily, but I thought the dieback and imminent death of the parent would adversely affect the viability of the cuttings. Surprisingly, I had a good success rate -– in contrast to the performance of the parent plant which died off completely.

Throughout the spring and early summer Pandorea jasminoides stood dry and crisp against the wall and was saved from the compost heap only by my inertia as there were more pressing tasks to undertake.

Then, during autumn this year, small buds then shoots appeared as Pandorea jasminoides slowly came back from the dead. It remains to be seen if the frosts of 2008, to which Pandorea jasminoides is susceptible (the young growth usually gets nibbled back) will finally finish her off or whether she continues her recovery.

Reference

Elliot and Jones, Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants, Vol. 7

From the newsletter of the Australian Native Plants Society (Canberra), June 2008.

Australian Plants online - 2008
Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants