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Chamelaucium uncinatum 'Purple Pride' (Geraldton Waxflower) - This is a dark selection of Chamelaucium uncinatum that grows to 6 to 7 feet tall by as wide with long dark green foliage that densely lines the dark red stems. The winter to spring (January - May) 1/2 inch wide dark rosy-purple flowers with a white central ring are slightly larger than the other varieties. This evergreen shrub has light green foliage and the leaves densely clothe the stems. It can grow to about six feet by six feet.
Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil. It is drought tolerant and is hardy to about 25 degrees F. This waxflower makes a great filler for flower arrangements.
The species Chamelaucium uncinatum, often referred to as Geraldton Wax thrives in the coastal sandplains between Perth and Geraldton in southwestern Western Australia. The name for the genus is thought to come from the Greek words 'chamai' meaning "dwarf" and 'leucos' meaning "white", though the reasoning for this is unknown. Another possibility suggested is that the name is derived from the Latin word 'camelaucum' which was the name used for the headgear of medieval Popes. One would have to have a crystal ball to ask the French botanist René Louiche Desfontaines what he meant when he first ascribed the name in 1819. The specific epithet is the Latin word meaning "hooked", in reference to the tips of the leaves.
Chamelaucium uncinatum 'Purple Pride' was one of the most popular of the older varieties of waxflower because of its dark flower color and we grew it continuously from 1993 until 2021.
The information displayed on this page about Chamelaucium uncinatum 'Purple Pride' is based on the research we have conducted about it in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about this plant as it grows in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant 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 information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information that will aid others to better grow it.
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