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| Category: Shrub |
| Family: Proteaceae (Proteas) |
| Origin: Australia (Australasia) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Red |
| Bloomtime: Spring |
| Parentage: (Telopea oreades X T. speciosissima) |
| Height: 6-8 feet |
| Width: 3-4 feet |
| Exposure: Cool Sun/Light Shade |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 15-20° F |
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Telopea 'Fireball' - A large upright evergreen shrub to 8 feet tall by 4 feet wide with leathery dark green leaves and very large bright red flowers in early spring. Plant in full sun in coastal areas and partial shade inland in a well-draining soil and irrigate occasionally in summer water. It is frost tolerant and likely hardy into the high teens. This plant should prove to be a spectacular plant in the garden and while a little fickle, established plants are spectacular with flowers that some may describe as otherworldly. The genus Telopea, in the Proteaceae family, consists of 5 species that ar all confined to the south east coast regions of Australia from northern New South Wales to Tasmania. Also called Waratahs, they are considered one of Australia's most beautiful and spectacular native plants and make wonderful garden plants that are generally cold hardier than most other large flowering Protea relatives. This plant is a cross between the New South Wales Waratah, Telopea speciosissima (the New South Wales state emblem) and the Victorian Waratah, Telopea oreades. The name for the genus comes from the Greek word 'telopos' meaning "seen from afar" in reference to the conspicuous flowers. The specific epithet for the seed parent, T. speciosissima, is from the Latin words 'speciosus' meaning "showy" and 'issimus' meaing "most" or combined to mean "most showy". The specific epithet for pollinating parent, T. oreades, comes from the Greek word 'oreos' meaning "mountain" in reference to mountainous regions in Victoria where this plant can be found growing to an elevation of about 4,300 feet in elevation. Telopea 'Fireball is a 2014 Koala Blooms Australian Plant Introduction but most partners in the program are having difficulty building numbers on this beautiful plant and the most reliable source for plants remains the UC Arboretum nursery.
This information about Telopea 'Fireball' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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