Kennedia is a genus of plant

Plant

Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...

s comprising 16 species, all native to Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. They are evergreen climbing plants with woody stems. Thet usually have trifoliate leaves and pea-type flowers of various colours from pink to dark red and yellow to black. The genus was named by Étienne Pierre Ventenat

Étienne Pierre Ventenat

Étienne Pierre Ventenat was a French botanist born in Limoges. He was the brother of naturalist Louis Ventenat ....

 after John Kennedy, a partner in the renowned firm of nurserymen, Lee and Kennedy

Lee and Kennedy

Lee and Kennedy were prominent nurserymen in three generations at The Vineyard, in Hammersmith, west of London."For many years," wrote John Claudius Loudon in 1854 "this nursery was deservedly considered the first in the world." The partnership was originated with a nurseryman, Lewis Kennedy , who...

 of Hammersmith, London.

Recognised

• Kennedia beckxiana — (Cape Arid Kennedia) is one of several Western Australia
  Western Australia
  Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
  
   endemics. It flowers between September and December, producing red flowers with a green centre.
• Kennedia carinata — Endemic to southwestern Western Australia, this species produces red to purple flowers with a yellow centre between September and November.
• Kennedia coccinea
  Kennedia coccinea
  Kennedia coccinea is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low growing trailing shrub or climber which has twining rust-coloured branchlets with rounded leaflets that are about 1.5 cm long and occur in threes...
  
  — (Coral Vine) is endemic to southwestern Western Australia
  Western Australia
  Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
  
  . It spreads to over 3 m and flowers from September to November. The flowers are yellow centred with pale red petals trimmed in magenta.
• Kennedia exaltata — Occurs in Queensland.
• Kennedia eximia —
• Kennedia glabrata — (Northcliffe Kennedia) is another species endemic to south western Western Australia. It flowers between August and November and has red flowers. It is listed as vulnerable under Australia's EPBC Act.
• Kennedia microphylla —
• Kennedia nigricans
  Kennedia nigricans
  Kennedia nigricans is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia....
  
  — (Black Coral Pea), a robust Western Australian species which spreads to over 18 m²(200ft²) is an ideal plant to cover fences and sheds. The black and yellow flowers bloom from October to January.
• Kennedia procurrens — (Purple Running Pea) is found in Queensland and New South Wales on sandy soils. It produces purple flowers from the late southern winter into summer.
• Kennedia prorepens — is found in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It produces purple, violet and blue flowers between April and November.
• Kennedia prostrata
  Kennedia prostrata
  Kennedia prostrata, commonly known as Running Postman or Scarlet Runner, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, endemic to Australia....
  
  — (Running Postman) is a widespread species, found in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.The flowers are coral red with yellow features though this species has flowers only sparsely . The leaves have a distinctive wavy edge.
• Kennedia retrorsa — is only found in the Mount Dangar area and the adjacent Goulburn River
  Goulburn River
  Goulburn River may refer to:* Goulburn River , Australia* Goulburn River , Australia...
  
   catchment in New South Wales. It flowers from September to December producing pink/purple to scarlet flowers. It is listed as vulnerable under the EPBC Act.
• Kennedia rubicunda
  Kennedia rubicunda
  Kennedia rubicunda is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, endemic to Australia. It occurs in the states of Victoria and New South Wales and Queensland....
  
  — (Dusky Coral Pea) is a widespread species, it is found in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. It produces pink flowers from late winter into spring.
• Kennedia stirlingii — (Bushy Kennedia) is a Western Australian species. It produces orange to red flowers between August and November.

Provisional

• Kennedia macrophylla
  Kennedia macrophylla
  Kennedia macrophylla is an ornamental plant. It is native to Western Australia, where it is now rare and endangered....
  
  — found in Western Australia
  Western Australia
  Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
  
  , this species flowers best in shaded area with yellow and pink flowers.

Cultivation

The Kennedias plants are frost

Frost

Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...

tolerant with a preference for light, well-drained soil in full sun positions. Once established they will spread into shaded areas. Western Australian species are very heat tolerant and make ideal covers for sheds, fences and walls with support. Many Kennedias are extremely vigorous climbers; K. rubicunda (commonly used in revegetation projects around Sydney, where it is indigenous) and K. nigricans can cover up to five metres of wall from tube in nine months. The most popular species in cultivation, K. prostrata, is a much less vigorous ground cover plant.

They are propagated from seed during spring; in the warmer summer months they are easily propagated from cuttings. This robust genus can be heavily cut back after flowering to prevent invasive growth.