Favourites: Grevillea umbellulata subsp. acerosa |
14 August 2009 8:00 PM
Tony Cavanagh writes....This long-time favourite of mine has rather an involved name but was better known for many years (and is possibly still available) as "Grevillea acerosa". However, Peter Olde and Neil Marriott decided when they published Vol.3 of The Grevillea Book in 1995 that it was one of two subspecies of G. umbellulata, originally described by the Swiss botanist Meisner in 1848.
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Photos: Tony Cavanagh
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Subsp. acerosa has been in cultivation since the mid 1950s and has the reputation for being very hardy with a spectacular display of flowers in late winter and spring. Although in the wild it often grows in winter-wet depressions, in cultivation it can withstand extended periods of dryness and frosts down to -6 C.
It comes from Western Australia being widespread around Hyden, Dumbleyung and Mt. Ravensthorpe. It flowers best in near full sun but can tolerate some shade. I have found that it does not thrive in very dry conditions, merely hanging on and flowering poorly. Come spring it is a joy as the whole bush is covered by the white-grey flowers so that you can't see the foliage. It is low growing, 30 to 50 cm high with up to 1 m spread, and rarely requires much attention in the garden, although light pruning helps flowering.
I believe that I bought my plant from a nursery in the 1980s and we have propagated it from cuttings with few troubles. I have never tried it in a pot but it would probably be very satisfactory.
Previous Favourites
| Pseuderanthemum variabile | |
| Acacia assimilis | Hibiscus divaricatus 'Golden Haze' |
| Prostanthera 'Poorinda Ballerina' | Chamelaucium uncinatum: Geraldton wax |
| Grevillea buxifolia: Grey Spider flower | Angophora hispida: Dwarf apple |
| Hypocalymma angustifolium: White myrtle | Calytrix tetragona - follow up |
| Calyrtix tetragona: Fringe myrtle | Pimelia physodes: Qualup Bell |
| Ricinocarpos pinifolius: Wedding bush | Senna artemisioides: Silver cassia |
| Philotheca myoporoides: Long-leaf wax flower | Epacris longiflora |
| Kangaroo Paw Hybrids | Alloxylon flammeum: Tree waratah |
| Jacksonia scoparia: Dogwood | Banksia media: Southern plains banksia |
| Correa 'Mannii' | Myoporum floribundum: Slender myoporum |
| Hibbertia diffusa: Wedge guinea flower | Callistemon 'Injune' |
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Comment posted by Steve Munn at 10:09 PM, 19 August 2009
Hi, I tried to post a submission to anpsaust@gmail.com <anpsaust@gmail.com> but it was returned apparently unread. Cheers.
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Favourites: Grevillea umbellulata subsp. acerosa
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