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Flame Pea Wikimedia Commons
Fabaceae

Flame Pea

Chorizema cordatum

Fiery passion.

Family
Fabaceae
Genus
Chorizema
Native to
Western Australia
Bloom season
Winter, Spring
Type
shrub
Height
1-3 ft
Sunlight
full sun to part shade
Soil
sandy, well-drained, acidic
Water
low to moderate
Hardiness
9-11
Lifespan
perennial

Did you know

  • Flame pea produces pea-flowers in a vivid bicolor pattern of orange and hot pink, creating a fiery display.
  • The heart-shaped, holly-like leaves with spiny margins give rise to the species name 'cordatum' (heart-shaped).
  • French explorer Jean-Baptiste Leschenault de la Tour discovered it dying of thirst and named the genus from Greek words meaning 'place of dancing' and 'drink'.
  • It is one of the earliest Australian plants to be brought into European cultivation, arriving in the late 1700s.
  • Unlike most legumes, chorizema does not fix atmospheric nitrogen through root nodules.

Color meanings

0

passion

1

energy

2

vitality

Uses

  • ornamental
  • native garden
  • container planting