Telopea speciosissima
(Sm.)R.Br.
Proteaceae
The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.
Common Name: Waratah
General Information
Telopea speciosissima is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 3.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
265- Title
- Flora of the Sydney Region
- Publication
-
- Author
- Carolin. R. & Tindale. M.
- Publisher
- Reed. Australia.
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
- 0730104001
- Description
- Concise flora with little beyond an extensive key, species descriptions, very brief habitat description.
,
Range
Australia - New South Wales.
Habitat
Dry sclerophyll forests and sandstone soils[
265- Title
- Flora of the Sydney Region
- Publication
-
- Author
- Carolin. R. & Tindale. M.
- Publisher
- Reed. Australia.
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
- 0730104001
- Description
- Concise flora with little beyond an extensive key, species descriptions, very brief habitat description.
]. Grows in soils with sand on the surface and brown or yellow clay at depth over sandstone, in eucalypt forest with sclerophyll shrub understorey[
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Shrub |
| Height | 3.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Prefers a rather poor stony soil[
167- Title
- A Field Guide to Australian Trees.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Holliday. I. and Hill. R.
- Publisher
- Frederick Muller Ltd.
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
- 0-85179-627-3
- Description
- A well illustrated and very readable book, but it does not contain much information for the plant project.
]. Requires a lime-free soil[
182- Title
- Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Thomas. G. S.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-7195-5043-2
- Description
- Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
]. Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil that is low in phosphates[
166- Title
- The Milder Garden.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Taylor. J.
- Publisher
- Dent
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.
]. Requires a lot of summer heat, abundant moisture in the growing season and a dry spell when dormant[
166- Title
- The Milder Garden.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Taylor. J.
- Publisher
- Dent
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.
].
Only succeeds outdoors in the milder areas of Britain[
182- Title
- Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Thomas. G. S.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-7195-5043-2
- Description
- Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
], requiring greenhouse protection in most parts of the country[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. The plant is hardy to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[
157- Title
- Australian Native Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M.
- Publisher
- Collins. (Australia)
- Year
- 1988
- ISBN
- 0-7322-0021-0
- Description
- A lovely book, written in order to encourage Australian gardeners to grow their native plants. A little bit of information for the plant project.
], 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[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
This plant is the floral emblem of New South Wales[
157- Title
- Australian Native Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M.
- Publisher
- Collins. (Australia)
- Year
- 1988
- ISBN
- 0-7322-0021-0
- Description
- A lovely book, written in order to encourage Australian gardeners to grow their native plants. A little bit of information for the plant project.
,
182- Title
- Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Thomas. G. S.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-7195-5043-2
- Description
- Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
].
Edible Uses
The flowers produce copious amounts of nectar, this can be sipped directly or used to make a sweet beverage[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
The stems are used in basket making[
156- Title
- Useful Wild Plants in Australia.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
- Publisher
- William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 0-00-216441-8
- Description
- A very readable book.
].
Propagation
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.
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Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
