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Telopea truncata

Tasmanian waratah

Proteaceae Tasmania, Australia

Attracts Pollinators Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 8–9

Overview

Telopea truncata is an evergreen shrub, sometimes a small tree, reaching 3-13 feet (1-4 m) tall, occasionally to 26 feet (8 m) in sheltered forest. Leaves are leathery, dark green, oblong to narrow, 1.5-6 inches (4-15 cm) long with smooth margins. Deep red flower heads 1.5-3 inches (4-8 cm) across are made up of many individual tubular flowers grouped into a rounded cluster, produced from late spring into summer; unlike the larger New South Wales waratah, the heads lack a ring of prominent red bracts. Woody, boat-shaped follicles follow, splitting to release winged seed. The species develops a lignotuber and resprouts after fire. Growth is slow, and plants take 4-6 years to flower from seed. It needs acidic, free-draining soil and cool, moist conditions, and is damaged by phosphorus fertilizer and by hot, dry exposure.

Native Range

Native to Tasmania, Australia, where it occurs in mountain and subalpine habitats. Grows in wet forest, montane scrub, and along streams on acidic, peaty or sandy soils, from near sea level to about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) elevation.

Suggested Uses

Grown in cool-climate native and woodland gardens on acidic soils, spaced 5-10 feet (1.5-3 m) apart. The red heads draw nectar-feeding birds and are cut for fresh arrangements. It grows poorly in hot, dry, alkaline, or phosphorus-rich conditions.

How to Identify

Recognized by leathery dark green oblong leaves 1.5-6 inches (4-15 cm) long and rounded deep red flower heads 1.5-3 inches (4-8 cm) across without a surrounding ring of large bracts. The smaller bract-free heads separate it from the New South Wales waratah Telopea speciosissima, which has a prominent collar of red bracts.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 13'

Width/Spread5' - 10'

Reaches mature size in approximately 8 years

Colors

Flower Colors

red

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

no change

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowers from late spring into summer, October through January in Tasmania, with timing later at higher elevations. Each head stays colored for 3-5 weeks. Flowering is heavier on plants in good light and after a warm preceding season.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

dark green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-8 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range4.5 - 6.0(Acidic)

357912

Soil Types

sand peat loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

4-6 years to flowering

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to part shade on acidic, free-draining, peaty or sandy soils kept cool and moist. Water through dry spells, especially while establishing; the roots are damaged by both drought and waterlogging. Phosphorus fertilizers harm the proteoid root system, so only low-phosphorus native feeding is used. Telopea truncata resprouts from its lignotuber after fire or hard pruning. Phytophthora spp. root rot can develop in warm, poorly drained soils.

Pruning

Cutting flower stems with some leafy growth after bloom encourages branching and more flowering wood. Plants resprout strongly from the lignotuber and tolerate hard pruning. Removing spent flower heads prevents seed set and directs energy into new growth.

Pruning Schedule

summer