Plant Profile

Photos Botanical Name: _Ceratopetalum gummiferum

Common Name: Christmas Bush or Festival Bush__

FAMILYNAME:

Species and cultivars of special interest: \ The white flowers surrounded by the white sepals. 'Christmas Snow': This small is simular to the species but produces leaves with a white margin.

Albery's Red: compact, dark red colour, the most important commercial variety Shiraz : : a new form with larger leaves and sepals than Albery’s, and a most attractive deeper colour. Sepals are slightly bell- shaped; Wildfire : a form with narrower leaves, red stems, narrower sepals of a lighter colour

Origin: Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Availability: Late summer and Spring (November, December, January).

The red enlarged sepals

Immature and not fully coloured flowers (2 left flowers) compared with flowers of the correct shades of red (2 right flowers)

Foliage Characteristics: The leaves are tri-foliar compound leaves which have a finely serrated margin; leaflets are up to 8cm in length and 0.5cm to 3cm in width. The new growth is often pink or bronze coloured.

Floral Characteristics: The true flowers are white in colour and about 6 mm across, fragrant and numerous; seen in late spring to early November. Once pollinated , the sepals, which are the outer series (calyx) of flora leaves that protect the flower bud, enlarge and turn deep pink to red in colour enclosing the fruit.

Special features and characteristics of special interest: The NSW Christmas bush is generally a large or small tree and in cultivation it rarely grows to more than four to five meters high. The fragrant white flowers attract wildlife like bees, butterflies for pollination. After pollination, a fruit is formed with one-seeded nut surrounded by the sepals, giving the appearance of a flower; this finally becomes dry. Christmas bush is not highly sensitive to ethylene.

Maintenance, Cultural requirements and Post Harvest Treatments: It is best to store Christmas bush at 6–8 °C if it has to be chilled for more than a few days. Allow them to take up water for at least two hours before designing with or selling them. Provide good air circulation, high humidity, light and flower food to keep the flowers in their optimum state. Christmas bush is not sensitive to ethylene, but it is susceptible to chemical harm from both lime sulfur and some non-ionic wetting agents.

Pest and Diseases: Leaf-curling psyllids often appear on new growth. Scale can be a problem. Aphids, caterpillars and thrips can attack new shoots and flowers. Elephant beetles chew holes in the bark. Whitefly and Snow flies are also common pests.

Use In Floristry: As an accent floral for mixed designs or used in vase arrangements. Can be used as a transitional flower. Very popular around Christmas. Christmas bush is promoted as ‘Festival Bush’ to extend its use outside of the Christmas season.

Customer advice:

After purchase, re-cut at least 2 cm off each stem and place in water immediately. If possible, replace vase water with fresh preservative every day. Keep cool at all times. Always use a preservative to keep open flowers looking fresh. To keep them away from heat sources and direct sunlight.

References: http://marketfresh.com.au/flowers/a-z-flower-search/item/1571-christmas-bush.html http://www.floristsreview.com/main/november/freshflower.html http://www.gardensonline.com.au/GardenShed/PlantFinder/Show_988.aspx http://www.mountain-nursery.com.au/bushinfo.htm http://anpsa.org.au/c-gumm.html http://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/media/documents/environment-and-waste/bushland- and-biodiversity/native-tree-database-fact-sheets/Fact-sheet-Ceratopetalum-gummiferum- NSW-Christmas-Bush.pdf http://www.austplants-nsw.org.au/pdf/Ceratopetalum_gummiferum.pdf http://www.plantfileonline.net/details_main.php?location=PlantAndLeaf

Fresh Cut Flowers, Gregory Milner 2012