Waratah

The Waratah is the floral emblem of New South Wales, officially named so in 1962. The Waratah was first documented by botanists as early as 1810. Specimens were collected in the Blue Mountains, which were then documented and classified by botanists.

The botanical name of telopea is derived from the Greek word telepos, meaning ‘seen from a far’. In the green tones of Australia’s bush, the distinctive red of a Waratah can be spotted from quite a distance.

The name Waratah was the Aboriginal term for the plant. It stuck with European settlers and remained the common name for the plant and its flower.

The Waratah belongs to the proteacae family, along with other natives such as the Protea, the banksias and the Grevillea.

The Waratah plant is a dense scrub which can grow as high as four meters. The large round blossoms usually measure between 10 and 15cm in diameter. The Waratah requires a good amount of water to grow. It is most consistently found on the New South Wales North Coast, and the Blue Mountain ranges, found to about 1000 meters above sea level.

Like many natives, the Waratah is a resilient plant. It has been known to survive bushfires, regenerating two years after a fire passes through a region. Despite its resilience in Australian conditions, attempts to cultivate the plant overseas have had mixed results. In Europe the Waratah does not survive the cold winter. In California the plant survived better but does not thrive to the same extent it does on its native soil.

As a symbol, the Waratah means beautiful or handsome. For this reason they make a great gift for a man or a woman. Waratahs are always spotted in the distance, if someone has caught your eye this way, perhaps you would like to send them a bouquet of Waratahs.

The striking blooms of the Waratah make it popular as both a garden plant and as a cut flower.