Acacia leprosa 'Scarlet Blaze'
Encyclopedia
Acacia 'Scarlet Blaze' is a cultivar
of Acacia leprosa
(Cinnamon Wattle) originating from Victoria
in Australia
. It is noted for its unusual red flowers.
-like scent from its foliage, particularly in hot weather. Red flowers appear in globular flowerhead
s from late winter to early spring. The red flowers are rare in the genus Acacia sensu lato where flower colour usually ranges from cream to yellow to gold. There are other red-flowered species including Acacia pervillei
and Acacia sakalava
from Madagascar
and Acacia reniformis from Mexico
, however with the ongoing reorganisation of Acacia, most non-Australian species are in the process of being assigned to other genera.
. It was a single red-flowering plant growing among the usual yellow flowered forms of the large phyllode variant of Acacia leprosa (Acacia leprosa var. uninervia) that was described as "8 feet tall and spreading".
The plant was propagated from cuttings by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
. Of these, three survived from which all currently grown plants are derived. In 1998 an application for plant breeders rights was made by Bill Molyneux
on behalf of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne which was granted in 2003. The sole original plant has since died.
The cultivar was released by Plant Growers Australia in Park Orchards
in August 2001 in time for the plant to become Victoria's Centenary of Federation
floral emblem.
by cuttings to produce true-to-type plants. Propagation from seeds has resulted in plants with flowers with a colour that ranges from yellow to red.
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
of Acacia leprosa
Acacia leprosa
Acacia leprosa, also known as Cinnamon Wattle, is an acacia native to Australia. It occurs in woodland in New South Wales and Victoria. It occurs as a hardy shrub or small tree. The phyllodes are 3-14 cm long and contain oil glands...
(Cinnamon Wattle) originating from Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is noted for its unusual red flowers.
Description
It is a small tree or large shrub, growing to 5 metres high and 3 metres wide. In common with all forms of Cinnamon Wattle, the leaves of the cultivar release a cinnamonCinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
-like scent from its foliage, particularly in hot weather. Red flowers appear in globular flowerhead
Flowerhead
-Biography:The seeds of Flowerhead were originally planted deep underground by founding members Eric Faust and Buz Zoller in 1987. With the addition of Eric Schmitz in 1989 and Pete Levine in 1990, the roots took hold...
s from late winter to early spring. The red flowers are rare in the genus Acacia sensu lato where flower colour usually ranges from cream to yellow to gold. There are other red-flowered species including Acacia pervillei
Acacia pervillei
Acacia pervillei is a species of Acacia that is endemic to Madagascar.The species was first formally described by English botanist George Bentham in 1875 in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. Two varieties are recognised:...
and Acacia sakalava
Acacia sakalava
Acacia sakalava is a species of Acacia that is endemic to Madagascar. Two varieties are recognised:*Acacia sakalava var. hispida Villiers & Du Puy*Acacia sakalava var. sakalava...
from Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
and Acacia reniformis from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, however with the ongoing reorganisation of Acacia, most non-Australian species are in the process of being assigned to other genera.
Discovery and introduction to cultivation
The original plant was first sighted in 1995 by a group of bushwalkers in the Black Range State Forest, north-east of MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. It was a single red-flowering plant growing among the usual yellow flowered forms of the large phyllode variant of Acacia leprosa (Acacia leprosa var. uninervia) that was described as "8 feet tall and spreading".
The plant was propagated from cuttings by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne are internationally renowned botanical gardens located near the centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on the south bank of the Yarra River. They are 38 hectares of landscaped gardens consisting of a mix of native and non-native vegetation including over...
. Of these, three survived from which all currently grown plants are derived. In 1998 an application for plant breeders rights was made by Bill Molyneux
Bill Molyneux
Bill Molyneux is an Australian horticulturist and author who has researched and developed many popular cultivars of Australian plants, including Banksia 'Birthday Candles', and Isopogon 'Woorikee 2000'.He has also written books for the Australian garden...
on behalf of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne which was granted in 2003. The sole original plant has since died.
The cultivar was released by Plant Growers Australia in Park Orchards
Park Orchards, Victoria
Park Orchards is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 23 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Manningham. At the 2006 Census, Park Orchards had a population of 3590....
in August 2001 in time for the plant to become Victoria's Centenary of Federation
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
floral emblem.
Cultivation
'Scarlet Blaze' prefers moist, well drained soils but has been found to be drought tolerant. Flowering and growth are promoted by a position in full sun, but some shade is tolerated. As with all cultivars, 'Scarlet Blaze' must be propagatedPlant propagation
Plant propagation is the process of creating new plants from a variety of sources: seeds, cuttings, bulbs and other plant parts. Plant propagation can also refer to the artificial or natural dispersal of plants.-Sexual propagation :...
by cuttings to produce true-to-type plants. Propagation from seeds has resulted in plants with flowers with a colour that ranges from yellow to red.