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Thomasia grandiflora 'Mt Lesueur' (Large Flowered Thomasia) - A small shrub to 3 feet tall by 2 feet wide with long linear dark green leaves that have recurved margins. In late winter and spring appear the dark centered 1-inch-wide ruffle-petaled magenta flowers.
Plant in full coastal sun to part sun or dappled shade in fairly well-drained soil with only occasional summer water. Hardy to around 20 F.
Thomasia grandiflora is a widespread species, mostly found in near-coastal locations growing in open forest in the south-west of Western Australia. This particular selected plant was collected from an area near Mount Lesueur (really a near-circular flat-topped mesa with an elevation of just over 1,000 feet) northeast of Jurien Bay. Mount Lesueur was named by Europeans in 1801 as the French ship, the Naturaliste sailed past Jurien Bay on its voyage up the Western Australian coast. It was named in honor of Charles Alexander Lesueur, a natural history artist on board the ship. The genus Thomasia honors Peter and Abraham Thomas, botanical collectors and the specific epithet grandiflora is from the Latin word 'grandis' meaning "large" or "great" and 'florus' - "to bloom" in reference to the large flowers of this species. This plant was introduced in 2010 through the through the University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum Koala Blooms Australian Plant Introduction Program. We sold this plant from 2010 until 2013 and only discontinued it because it was under appreciated and did not sell.
The information displayed on this page about Thomasia grandiflora 'Mt Lesueur' is based on the research we conducted about it in our nursery horticultural library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include some of our own observations made about this plant as it grows in the nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we have received from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information that will aid others to better grow it.
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