Chamelaucium uncinatum
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| iGeraldton wax | ||||||||||
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| Chamelaucium uncinatum |
The Geraldton wax is a flowering plant originally found in Western Australia. Its bright flowers (resembling those of the tea trees) last a relatively long time after cutting, making the plant popular in horticulture. It is widely cultivated throughout Australia, both in home gardens and in the Cut Flower Industry. Colours can be white, pink or purple. The species name uncinatum means "hooked" in Latin, in reference to the tips of the leaves.
It is a member of the Myrtaceae or myrtle family which includes many familiar Australian plants such as gum trees, bottlebrushes and Ti trees, both Leptospermum and Melaleuca.
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[edit] Cultivation
Geraldton Wax is relatively hardy for a western Australian plant and is fairly easy to grow in a mediterranean climate with well-drained sandy soil and a sunny aspect. It can be grown in areas of higher humidity, such as Sydney, but tends to be short lived.
[edit] Varieties
Many varieties are commercially available; named both for colour and for early/late flowering times. In the wild, Geraldton wax is most commonly white with varying tinges of mauve. The deeper purple forms (pictured below) are selected vareties propagated commercially:
- Chamelaucium "Early Purple"
- Chamelaucium "Purple Pride"
[edit] References
- Chamelaucium uncinatum. Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants. Retrieved on 2006-08-13.
[edit] See also
- Chamelaucium uncinatum at Florabase, Department of Environment and Conservation, Western Australia.
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