Telopea 'Emperor's Torch'

RHS Plant Profile

waratah 'Emperor's Torch'

Shrubs

An half-hardy evergreen shrub to around 2.5m high, with an upright habit and lance-shaped, dark green leaves to 20cm long. Showy flowerheads are borne at the tips of the stems in spring, each with many tubular, curving red flowers surrounded by a ring of red bracts

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: 1.5-2.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H3

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Proteaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Telopea are large, evergreen shrubs or small trees with leathery leaves and large, colourful flowers borne at the ends of the branches
Name Status: Unresolved

How to Grow

Cultivation

In mild, frost free areas, may be grown outdoors in sandy, slightly acid soil in a sunny, sheltered position. In areas prone to frosts, grow under glass in a peat-free, loam-based compost with added sharp sand, in bright, filtered light. Water freely in growth and sparingly in winter

Propagation

Propagate by semi-ripe or leaf-bud cuttings with bottom heat in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Sub-tropical
Conservatory and greenhouse
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Pruning group 8

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free