A course climber forming tangled thickets, occurring in both coastal and inland areas.

Northern Coral Pea - Hardenbergia retusa - Photo by Bill Hinton

The large trifolate leaves are conspicuously veined and glossy. It is prone to forming a mass over small shrubs from where the axillary racemes of pink-mauve pea shaped flowers make a splendid display.

Flowers appear from August to December with the main blooming taking plave from September to November.

Seed pods are from 7-9cm long and are covered with fine hairs.

It is recorded that the roots were roasted and eaten by the Aborigines, but no information seems to be available as to what preparation, if any was carried out.

Germination of seed is most successful if they have been subjected to the boiling water treatment described for Acacia species.