Practical
Plants

Telopea speciosissima

Waratah

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Telopea genus in the family Proteaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Telopea
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
3 m
Spread
2 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The flowers produce copious amounts of nectar, this can be sipped directly or used to make a sweet beverage[7].

Product or use
Nectar

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The stems are used in basket making[2].

Product or use
Basketry

Environment

Range
Australia - New South Wales.
Habitat
Dry sclerophyll forests and sandstone soils[9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a rather poor stony soil[5]. Requires a lime-free soil[6]. Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil that is low in phosphates[4]. Requires a lot of summer heat, abundant moisture in the growing season and a dry spell when dormant[4]. Only succeeds outdoors in the milder areas of Britain[6], requiring greenhouse protection in most parts of the country[1]. The plant is hardy to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[3], but this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer colder and wetter winters. Plants have been known to tolerate temperatures down to -5° in Britain, occasionally lower when in a very good position[8]. This plant is the floral emblem of New South Wales[3][6].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Useful Wild Plants in Australia. William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-00-216441-8

    ↩

  3. Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988-00-00 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0

    ↩1↩2

  4. Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  5. Holliday. I. and Hill. R. A Field Guide to Australian Trees. Frederick Muller Ltd. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-85179-627-3

    ↩

  6. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

  7. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩

  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩

  9. Carolin. R. & Tindale. M. Flora of the Sydney Region Reed. Australia. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0730104001

    ↩

Edit this page