STYLE : GARDENS : SO VINE

With flowers like wisteria and leaves like eucalyptus, hardenbergia combines beauty with toughness. A native of Australia, the fast-growing vine gets by on very little water, which makes it perfect for cultivating in Southern California gardens. (Be careful not to overwater on hot summer days.) Though hardenbergia and wisteria are similar in many ways, size differentiates the two: Wisteria can cover a city block, and hardenbergia grows only 10 to 15 feet, just enough to decorate a small trellis. Both can take some shade, but unlike wisteria, hardenbergia will thrive at the beach. (Inland, it must be protected from hard frosts.) Best planted now--look for white, pink, purple or mauve varieties at local nurseries--a new hardenbergia can stretch 10 feet before flowering next spring.