Woody > Billardiera > Billardiera heterophylla > Billardiera heterophylla
Billardiera heterophylla
Australian Bluebell
Origin: Billardiera heterophylla is naturally found in South Western Australia and, due to modern interference, has expanded its range to the foothills of every major city in Eastern Australia.
Mike's
Opinion
"
Billardiera heterophylla, commonly known as Australian Bluebell, is extremely similar to Billardiera fusiformis, to the point they were often confused for one another and are considered synonyms by some. Previously known as Sollya heterophylla, Billardiera heterophylla has beautiful blue bell-like flowers that come in cultivars of pink or white. It appears salt tolerant and is highly invasive. Billardiera heterophylla x parviflora is a beautiful sterile hybrid. I strongly recommend planting this hybrid in the landscape instead of Billardiera heterophylla to avoid the species spreading and becoming invasive in a region.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Pittosporaceae |
| Genus |
| Billardiera |
| Species |
| heterophylla |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Shrub (evergreen) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 9 - 11 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 9 and greater |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H3 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| (-7) |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 20 |
| Height |
| 1 - 1.8 m |
| Spread |
| 1 - 3 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| A woody, rounded shrub with evenly scandent branches. Its flowers are bell-like and often sky-blue, blue, or purple, but can also be white or pink. The flowers have 5 petals and are in terminal cymes of two to ten. The adult leaves are green, alternate and mostly ovate, with both surfaces of the leaves glabrescent. |
| Landscape |
| City or courtyards, informal gardens, patios, greenhouses, and as a wall shrub for its climbing nature, especially in Mediterranean climates. Others advise B. heterophylla to be used for ornamental use and soil reclamation in reforestation projects within its native range. B. heterophylla may have a tolerance for saline soils that could prove useful in soil reclamation applications within its native range, but such qualities require further study to be confirmed. I personally advise that B. heterophylla be used with extreme caution and planning in any landscape, especially in non-native areas, given its twinning branches going into other nearby plants and its ability to take over bare soils. Consider instead, an alternative, sterile, hybrid called Billardiera heterophylla x parviflora (Bluebell Creeper). That way, you do not have to worry about your beautiful planting becoming the source of a new invasive plant species. |
| Cultivation |
| Billardiera as a genus tends to be semi-drought-tolerant but prefers moist, lime-free, humus-rich, well-drained soils in partial shade to full sun with the caveat of the soils above the roots being relatively cool. B. heterophylla prefers acidic to neutral soils, about pH 5.0 - 7.0 . The plant is a climber and can support itself eventually, but it is best advised to be given support when first establishing itself. B. heterophylla is tolerant to winter frost and snow, but prefers shorter and milder winters. Areas with temperatures unlikely to fall below -5°c are best for their success in growing outdoors. With a bit of proper mulching around the roots of the plant, B. heterophylla might be able to sprout back even if the surface of the plant dies due to winter damage. If growing inside, be mindful that the plant needs lots of light, but is susceptible to the hot sun. Loam-based soil with moderate watering and low humidity is advised. A well balanced liquid-fertilizer will do fine for the plants needs. |
| Shape |
| Rounded shrub or climbing shrub. As the plant ages, it will send out twining branches into nearby structures or vegetation to support its growth. |
| Growth |
| Medium |
| ID Characteristic |
| A woody, broad-leafed, evergreen shrub that climbs nearby structures and plants with twining branches. It has bright green leaves that alternate and are mostly ovate, with both surfaces glabrescent. Its flowers are bell-like and often sky-blue, blue or purple, but can be white or pink as well, with 5 petals in terminal cymes of two to ten. |
| Pests |
| There appear to be no known diseases that affect Billardiera heterophylla. There is the possibility of the plant being affected by red spider mites, but this should be easily dealt with through the application of horticultural oil if there is an outbreak in the first place. |
| Habitat |
| Billardiera heterophylla is native to South Western Australia. It is regularly found in coastal heath among inland salt lakes, open forests, dry sclerophyll forests, grassland, riparian areas and eucalypt woodland. Due to B. heterophylla’s use in Australian horticulture and the seeds of its fruits being eaten and carried to various locations by birds, the disruption of Billardiera heterophylla has expanded to the foothills of every major city in Eastern Australia. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| The stems of Billardiera heterophylla are greenish and hairy when new. As the plant ages, its stem transitions to a woody reddish-brown. |
| Leaf Description |
| Young seedling leaves are tri-lobed and crenulated, becoming broad-elliptic. The adult leaves are bright green, alternate and mostly ovate, with both surfaces of the leaves glabrescent. The leaves' margins are disputed on being either entire or crenate, with acute apices and petiols 2-3 mm long. Sizes of the leaves can vary within a range of 30-50 mm x 10-20 mm. |
| Flower Description |
| Flowers are bell-like and often sky-blue, fading with age to blue or purple, but can also be white or pink. The flowers have 5 petals and are in terminal cymes of two to ten. The pendincels are 8-20 mm long. |
| Fruit Description |
| The fruit is 20–30 mm long, glabrous, oblong-cylindrical, green-purple outer skin, fleshy mesocarp, and individual seeds dry in separate compartments surrounded by a thin papery-liner. Seeds are numerous and colliculate. |
| Colour Description |
| The adult leaves are bright green. The flowers are bell-shaped and often blue or purple, but can be white or pink as well. The stems of Billardiera heterophylla are greenish when new and reddish-brown when older. |
| Texture Description |
| The adult leaves have both surfaces of the leaves glabrescent. The fruit and pendincels are glabrous. The ovaries are ridged and appressed with silky hairs. |
| Notable Specimens |
| There is a specimen of Billardiera heterophylla, still under the outdated name Sollya heterophylla, at UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, within the University of California. Located at 448 La Rue Rd, Davis, CA 95616, United States, California. The specimen is a part of the Australian Collection of the Arboretum. |
| Propagation |
| When propagating by seed, immediately sow the seeds when the fruit is ripened, and either sow the seeds directly into the ground in spring when temperatures are 10-16°c or into a greenhouse. When sowing the seed, just lightly cover the seed in soil or soil-less medium. Stored seed can take far longer to germinate than fresh seed, which should be prolific in germination. If using a greenhouse, when able to be handled, take the seedlings and plant them into individual pots. Grow the seedlings at least through their first winter. Plant the seedlings in late spring to early summer, when the chance of frost is low. When propagating by cuttings, take soft or half-ripe wood cuttings that are roughly 10 - 12 cm long with a heel. Plant them in late spring or early to mid-summer, with a supporting structure for them to climb if you want to help them out. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| In South Australia sale of B. heterophylla is prohibited. There is also enforced control in the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Kangaroo Island and South East NRM regions. These restrictions were due to the invasive nature of B. heterophylla and its propensity to smother other plants with its twining stems. It also appears to have a persistent soil seed bank that allows it to come up again after disturbance or attempts to control it. |
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