Telopea speciosissima, the Waratah

The Waratah is an immediately recognisable flower, with its brilliant crimson colouring standing tall above the surrounding shrubs and grasses. Its scientific name reflects this, with Telopea speciosissima translating roughly as ‘the most beautiful flower seen from afar’.

I find this description to be rather apt.

It’s no surprise that it was chosen to be New South Wales’ floral emblem, really.

Technically what we usually call the Waratah ‘flower’ is actually an inflorescence, or flower head, with each of the smaller upturns actually being the true flowers, all clustered together in a grand display. This is true of all the Proteaceae family, which include many other iconic Australian groups such as Banksias and Grevilleas.

Now, I feel I must place an exhortation in this article;

DON’T PICK THE DAMN FLOWERS!

Just don’t, please? This species is already horribly restricted in range due to over-collecting and harvesting for the cut flower industry, not to mention under attack by a nasty fungal infection (Phytophthora cinnamomi, if you want to find out more) that’s playing havoc with a variety of native species, so the last thing it needs is people wandering through and yanking, slicing or snapping the very energy intensive flower heads off it.

If you want to have the flowers as a display feature, which is perfectly valid as they make truly excellent display flowers with how showy and long-lived they are, then please buy them from a reputable florist, there are more than enough floral companies that cultivate Waratahs specifically for the cut flower industry.

Alternatively, you can have a go at growing them yourself, which has the dual benefit giving you private access to your own Waratah plant and helps reestablish the species in urban areas, where a number of species of bird, possum and insect that used to rely on Waratahs have become rather scarce. Of course, it’s not the easiest species to grow, but if you have the conditions for it, or a particular passion for gardening, then give it a shot; you certainly won’t regret it if you succeed.

For more cultivation information, check out the Sydney Royal Botanic Garden’s site.