Billardiera longiflora
CLIMBING BLUEBERRY, PURPLE APPLEBERRY, APPLEBERRY
Family: Pittosporaceae
Pronounced: bi-lar-dee-EH-ra long-gi-FLOW-ra
Quick Jumps
Growing Guide
Rainy Side Notes
GROWING GUIDE
Origin:
New South Wales and Tasmania.
Plant Group:
Vines.
Hardiness:
Sunset zones: Not listed.
USDA zones: 8-9.
Heat zones: 9-8.
Mature size:
Height: 6-10 feet (2-3 m).
Flowering period:
June.
Flowering attributes:
Pendent, narrow bell-shaped flowers open a pale chartreuse, turning a creamy white in its prime and then aging to lavender-purple.
Leaf attributes:
Evergreen, linear lance-shaped, dark green leaves.
Growth habit:
Climber.
Light:
Sun to partial shade.
Soil:
Humus rich, neutral to acidic, lime-free, moist, well-drained soil.
Feeding:
Mulch well with composted manure or compost. Feed once a month with a complete organic fertilizer during the growing season.
Propagation Methods:
Sow fresh seed as soon as ripe in autumn. Old seed may take up to a year to germinate.
Softwood cuttings in early summer.
Layering.
Pruning Methods:
Prune in spring or after fruiting and is only neccessary for rejuvenation or to keep confined to its space.
Rainy Side Notes
This exceptional vine from down under — Tasmania and New South Wales in Australia — is not often seen in Northwest gardens. In the genus Billardiera (named after the French botanist, J. J. de Labillardiere), longiflora is one of nine species. Its epithet longiflora means long flowering, and the plant lives up to its name with scented, waxy flowers blooming from July to September. The best part about growing this vine is the showy, bright blue to deep violet, grape-size fruits that appear in autumn. In its native habitat, it grows in damp forests and alongside streams.
You can train the plant up a trellis, into trees, or through shrubs. The vine looked great in my garden climbing a Nandina domestica. Unfortunately, I lost the images from my garden during a computer crash long ago. More recently at the nursery where I photographed this specimen, it grew handsomely over a rustic twig fence. Whichever way you let it grow, you will want to protect it from cold winds. Once established the vine is drought tolerant.
Billardiera longiflora received an Award of Merit from the Royal Horticulture Society.
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton
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