Telopea Emperors Torch

The Telopea Emperor's Torch is an evergreen and bushy shrub of a mild climate, close to the proteas, with a preference for poor, well-drained soils and full sun. This selection is distinguished by a magnificent spring flowering, which covers its bluish and leathery foliage with large globular inflorescences of a very bright pink almost red, formed by tubular flowers surrounded by bracts of the same tone. A rare, original and unusual plant at the same time, whose cultivation is sometimes delicate in too rich soil and humid summer climates.

The Telopea 'Emperor's Torch' is a hybrid resulting from the cross-breeding between a Telopea speciosissima, the floral emblem of New South Wales in Australia, and Telopea oreades, native to cool undergrowth of mountain slopes in southeastern Australia. This wooded and ramified plant is part of the proteaceae family. The 'Emperor's Torch' cultivar forms a bush reaching easily 2 m (7ft) in height in our climates, with a span of 1.20 m (4ft) under favorable conditions. The alternate, simple and leathery leaves, cuneiform in shape, are covered with a wax responsible for their bluish appearance and are inserted along the entire length of the stems. The bush produces in spring, in May-June, at the end of the branches, sumptuous carmine floral heads, 8 cm (3in) wide, composed of a dense heart of incurved tubular flowers, surrounded by bright red bracts. The flowers are highly appreciated in floristry, due to their excellent vase life.

The Telopea 'Emperor's Torch' is a plant with a very exotic appearance that deserves to be tried in cultivation. It will preferably be planted in coastal gardens spared from heavy frosts, in very light, well-drained soil, with an acidic tendency, poor in nitrates and phosphorus. Sometimes difficult to grow in humid climates, it will be the pride of its happy owner, planted in isolation, on a large slope or in the background of dry garden beds, but always in a sheltered and sunny position. In a garden of exotic inspiration, it can be associated with cordylines, proteas or Leucadendron, Canary Island viper's bugloss, Euphorbia characias, Euphorbia mellifera, Giant fennel, Melianthus major, palm trees or Leptospermum. This bush also grows very well in a container or a large pot, to adorn the terrace or balcony of an informed amateur.