Its unusual name commemorates J.J.H. de Labillardiere, a French botanist who traveled in Australia and published a flora in 1804. It is a native of Tasmania and has been in cultivation for more than 200 years. It is a shame that a plant so beautiful has received so little attention. Perhaps its unfamiliar scientific name has been a hindrance. It is grown for its beautiful flowers and colored fruits.
Flowers often open yellow and later turn to pink or purple.
Plants are happy to scamper over walls or fences, and since they are not heavy, they are at ease growing among taller shrubs. Keep it cool Plants like higher organic soils and moisture, but not wet feet. An acidic soil is desirable and, by all means, keep their roots cool under hotter summer days. They respond to early spring pruning when you want to remove any weak, dead or overcrowded growth. Fruit is berrylike and contains many seeds.