| Acacia leprosa 'Scarlet Blaze' | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Species | Acacia leprosa |
| Cultivar | 'Scarlet Blaze' |
| Origin | Black Range State Forest, Victoria, Australia |
Acacia 'Scarlet Blaze' is a cultivar of Acacia leprosa (cinnamon wattle) originating from Victoria in Australia. It is noted for its unusual red flowers.
It is a small tree or large shrub, growing to 5 metres high and 3 metres wide. [1] In common with all forms of Cinnamon Wattle, the leaves of the cultivar release a cinnamon-like scent from its foliage, particularly in hot weather. [2] Red flowers appear in globular flower heads from late winter to early spring. The red flowers are rare in the genus Acacia sensu lato where flower colour usually ranges from cream to yellow to gold. There are other red-flowered species including Acacia pervillei and Acacia sakalava from Madagascar and Acacia reniformis from Mexico, however with the ongoing reorganisation of Acacia, most non-Australian species are in the process of being assigned to other genera. [3] [4]
The original plant was first sighted in 1995 by a group of bushwalkers in the Black Range State Forest, north-east of Melbourne. [2] [5] It was a single red-flowering plant growing among the usual yellow flowered forms of the large phyllode variant of Acacia leprosa (Acacia leprosa var. uninervia) that was described as "8 feet tall and spreading". [2] [6]
The plant was propagated from cuttings by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. Of these, three survived from which all currently grown plants are derived. [2] In 1998 an application for plant breeders rights was made by Bill Molyneux on behalf of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne which was granted in 2003. [7] The sole original plant has since died. [2]
The cultivar was released by Plant Growers Australia in Park Orchards in August 2001 in time for the plant to become Victoria's Centenary of Federation floral emblem. [8]
'Scarlet Blaze' prefers moist, well drained soils but has been found to be drought tolerant. Flowering and growth are promoted by a position in full sun, but some shade is tolerated. As with all cultivars, 'Scarlet Blaze' must be propagated by cuttings to produce true-to-type plants. Propagation from seeds has resulted in plants with flowers with a colour that ranges from yellow to red. [2]
Epacris impressa, also known as common heath, is a plant of the heath family, Ericaceae, that is native to southeast Australia. French botanist Jacques Labillardière collected the species in 1793 and described it in 1805. Four forms have been identified, but no subspecies are recognised. Growing in heathland, shrubland or open forest, it is generally a small shrub around 0.5 to 1 m tall, with small stiff leaves. The red, pink or white tube-like flowers appear from late autumn to early spring. Honeyeater birds, particularly the eastern spinebill, feed upon the nectar of the flowers. It regenerates after bushfire by seed or by resprouting.
Acacia leprosa, also known as cinnamon wattle, is an acacia native to Australia. It occurs in woodland in New South Wales and Victoria. It occurs as a hardy shrub or small tree. The phyllodes are 3–14 cm long and contain oil glands. The lemon-yellow flowers occur as globular heads in clusters in the leaf axils. The fruit is flat seed pod.
Telopea speciosissima, commonly known as the New South Wales waratah or simply waratah, is a large shrub in the plant family Proteaceae. It is endemic to New South Wales in Australia and is the floral emblem of that state. No subspecies are recognised, but the closely related Telopea aspera was only recently classified as a separate species.
Acacia cultriformis, known as the knife-leaf wattle, dogtooth wattle, half-moon wattle or golden-glow wattle, is a perennial tree or shrub of the genus Acacia native to Australia. It is widely cultivated, and has been found to have naturalised in Asia, Africa, North America, New Zealand and South America. A. cultriformis grows to a height of about 4 m (13 ft) and has triangle-shaped phyllodes. The yellow flowers appear from August to November in its natural range. Its attractive foliage and bright flowers make it a popular garden plant.
Banksia ericifolia, the heath-leaved banksia, or lantern banksia, is a species of woody shrub of the family Proteaceae native to Australia. It grows in two separate regions of Central and Northern New South Wales east of the Great Dividing Range. Well known for its orange or red autumn inflorescences, which contrast with its green fine-leaved heath-like foliage, it is a medium to large shrub that can reach 6 m (20 ft) high and wide, though is usually half that size. In exposed heathlands and coastal areas, it is more often 1–2 m (3.3–6.6 ft).
Prostanthera lasianthos, commonly known as the Victorian Christmas bush or coranderrk , is a large shrub or small tree of the mint family, Lamiaceae, which is native to Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in Australia. It grows up to 10 m (35 ft) high but is usually much less and is found in wet sclerophyll forests, often beside creeks. Its flowers, which appear in profuse sprays, are about 2 cm long and white or pale lilac, with purple and orange blotches in the throat. They appear in late spring and summer, and specifically around Christmas time in Victoria. The fragrant, toothed leaves are 4 to 12 cm long and about 1.5 cm wide.
Grevillea juniperina, commonly known as juniper- or juniper-leaf grevillea or prickly spider-flower, is a plant of the family Proteaceae native to eastern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland in Australia. Scottish botanist Robert Brown described the species in 1810, and seven subspecies are recognised. One subspecies, G. j. juniperina, is restricted to Western Sydney and environs and is threatened by loss of habitat and housing development.
Acacia retinodes is an evergreen shrub that is native to South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Short racemes of yellow flowers are produced periodically throughout the year. Some common names are Retinodes water wattle, swamp wattle, wirilda, ever-blooming wattle and silver wattle.
Wattle Day is a day of celebration in Australia on the first day of September each year, which is the official start of the Australian spring. This is the time when many Acacia species, are in flower. So, people wear a sprig of the flowers and leaves to celebrate the day.
Acacia brownii, commonly known as heath wattle, is an erect or spreading shrub which is endemic to eastern Australia.
Telopea oreades, commonly known as the Gippsland-, mountain- or Victorian waratah, is a large shrub or small tree in the family Proteaceae. Native to southeastern Australia, it is found in wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest on rich acidic soils high in organic matter. No subspecies are recognised, though a northern isolated population hybridises extensively with the Braidwood waratah (T. mongaensis). Reaching a height of up to 19 metres, T. oreades grows with a single trunk and erect habit. It has dark green leaves with prominent veins that are 11–28 centimetres (4.3–11 in) long and 1.5–6 cm (0.6–2.4 in) wide. The red flower heads, known as inflorescences, appear in late spring. Each is composed of up to 60 individual flowers.
Acacia decora is a plant native to eastern Australia. Common names include the western silver wattle and the showy wattle. The species name refers to the plant's decorative qualities.
Acacia verniciflua, commonly known as varnish wattle, is a shrub or small tree species that is endemic to Australia. It has an erect or spreading habit, growing to between 1 and 6 metres high, The phyllodes are often sticky and lustrous and vary in length, width and shape. The globular pale-yellow flowerheads appear in the leaf axils from July to November, followed by seedpods that are up to 10 cm long and unconstricted. These contain shiny black seeds. It is often found growing alongside Eucalyptus obliqua where it can dominate the understory.
Acacia gunnii, commonly known as ploughshare wattle or dog's tooth wattle, is a woody shrub which is endemic to south-eastern Australia found in dry heaths and woodlands. It ranges from Queensland, then New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, South Australia, down to Tasmania. Acacia gunnii grows to up to 1 metre high and has prickly phyllodes which are 4 to 15 mm long. The cream to pale yellow globular flowerheads appear singly in the axils of the phyllodes in June to October, followed by curved or coiled seed pods which are 40 mm long and 4 to 5 mm wide. Acacia gunnii grows up to 1 meter tall and has prickly phyllodes which are 4 to 15mm in length with cream to pale-yellow globular flower heads appearing in phyllode axils in June through to October, followed by curved or coiled seed pods which are 40mm long and 4 to 5 mm wide. The species was first formally described by English botanist George Bentham in the London Journal of Botany in 1842. It occurs in South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, and Queensland.
Acacia prominens is a shrub or tree in the genus Acacia native to New South Wales, Australia.
Acacia mucronata, the variable sallow wattle or narrow-leaved wattle, is a shrub or small tree to 5 m high. It is native to southeast Australia, mainly the states of Tasmania and Victoria. It often grows as an understorey tree or shrub in eucalypt forest or as a dominant in scrubland. In drier regions of its distribution, like in northeast Tasmania, it often grows along creeks and sheltered coastlines.
Acacia iteaphylla, commonly known as Flinders Range wattle, Port Lincoln wattle, winter wattle and willow-leaved wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to South Australia.
Acacia dunnii, commonly known as elephant ear wattle or Dunn's wattle, is a shrub or tree of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves.
Acacia wilhelmiana, commonly known as dwarf nealie, Wilhelmi’s wattle and mist wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves native to the mallee region of central and eastern Australia.
Daniel J. Murphy is an Australian botanist.