Botanical name – Telopea 'Essie's Gift'

Common name – Warratah'Essie's Gift'

Description – 'Essie's Gift' is a low growing, compact Waratah with stunning deep pink flower heads that bloom throughout spring. The large flower heads are borne on short arching stems and can also be enjoyed in cut flower displays. This variety is ideal for high-impact flowering hedges or single specimen planting. It is known for its low growing and dense habit, which makes it perfect for a wide range of garden applications.

Flower Colour – Deep pink

Flower Period – Spring

Fruiting – N/A

Location – 'Essie's Gift' enjoys most aspects but is best protected from harsh westerly exposure. It grows well in slightly acidic soil types but thrives in fertile, well-drained soils. Uses: 'Essie's Gift' is perfect for low-growing displays of bright colour, making a statement with an unusual low native hedge, medium to large containers, and indoor cut flower arrangements.

Care – Prune by one-third after flowering to maintain shape and vigour and to encourage further flowering flushes. An application of slow-release fertiliser formulated for natives in autumn and early spring is beneficial. 'Essie's Gift' has low water requirements once established, but provide deep soaks during periods of extended heat.

Mature height – 1.5m H x 2m W

Sizes/Plant height approximate (above pot);
140mm – 30cm

**All plant stock and sizes are approximates and subject to grower availability as per the time of year**

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The plant story:
Brian graduated from Hawkesbury Agricultural College in “Horticulture” in the late 1970’s, and was lucky enough to spend the next 20 years as a specialist native plant propagator. He also worked on a Waratah Farm involved in the selection of superior forms for distribution to a newly emerging flower industry.Brian has always viewed the Waratah as one of the most beautiful creations of nature and understood why it had captured the imagination of our forebears, inspiring designers,craftspersons and horticulturalists to work with its stunning beauty.In the late 1980’s Brian was responsible for the propagation of the only white Waratah - ‘Wirrimbirra White’ given by Paul Nixon from Sydney University to Protea Australis, for distribution to the nursery and flower industry. It was the chance to work with this rare variety that triggered his interest in plant breeding, with the prospect of improving its hardiness and developing new colours and forms. At a similar time Brian made the friendship of the famous Tasmanian ‘plantslady’, the late Essie Huxley, who had a rare yellow Tasmanian Waratah growing in her beautiful garden.This further encouraged the breeding, together with the given opportunity to work with one of the most beautiful flowers in the world, right at the cutting edge of its development in horticulture.With the help of his family, Brian selected a new breeding site in 2004 in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains.The past few years have seen the blossoming of many new varieties that will now go through the testing process for commercialisation.

Plant Key 
Some quick facts about this plant:

	Full Sun
	Part Shade
	Low Watering
	Ideal for Pots
	Flowering
	Wild Life Attracting
	Frost Tolerant (mild)
	1.5m Wide
	2m High