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A First Checklist of Named Cultivars in the Genus
Watsonia
by
David A. Cooke
June 2022
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Watsonia is a genus of the Iridaceae, subfamily Ixioideae, with about 53 species in southern Africa.
All are perennial herbs growing from corms and producing erect spikes of showy flowers.
It appears that all Watsonia species have a haploid chromosome number of 9 (Goldblatt, 1989;
Goldblatt & Takei, 1997) and F1 hybrids between most species are readily produced (Horn, 1962).
Horn also found that the renascent, winter-growing watsonia species are much less fertile when
selfed than when outcrossed, but not totally self-sterile. Self-pollination produced fewer seeds and
allegedly weaker progeny than outcrossing. The evergreen summer-flowering species were more
self-fertile.
The breeding system of Watsonia and their readily manipulated flowers have facilitated
hybridisation in garden stock; but the systematic breeding of Watsonia cultivars for ornamental
gardens and the cut-flower trade did not begin until the early 20th century, when it was carried out
mainly in Australia and California.
The first commercial releases made by Luther Burbank from his nurseries at Santa Rosa, California
in 1908, were mixed hybrids; he may have used Watsonia borbonica ‘Arderne’s White’ and W.
coccinea (Anderson & Olsen, 2015). Around 1904 Mrs J.H. Bullard of Los Angeles began a breeding
program using W. angusta and a white watsonia which was probably W. borbonica ‘Arderne’s
White’, releasing her first five cultivars in 1912-1913 and others up to 1930 (Payne, 1929). Her
watsonias were marketed by Theodore Payne.
Hybrid Watsonia cultivars had a brief period of popularity in Australia during the 1920s. The most
famous were produced by John Cronin in the main nursery (Anon, 1917) of the Royal Botanic
Gardens in Melbourne where he was Director from 1909-1923.
These hybrids were just beginning to become generally available at the time of his death; they were
introduced in Adelaide for the 1923 planting season (Lasscock, 1923). Mrs Cronin exhibited them in
November 1924 at the Horticultural Trade Exhibition and again in October 1925 at the Garden Week
exhibition, where gardening journalists commented that their flowers were larger and more
numerous than those of the familiar W. borbonica and ranged "from delicate shell pink to coppery
bronze" (Anon, 1926). During his lifetime Cronin gave watsonias to many friends and some were
exported to England and USA (Anon, 1924b). Eight of his cultivars named after Australian cities
were advertised in February 1926 by W.R. Warner & Son of Camberwell at 1/- or 1/6 per corm; others
were later released through Law Somner and the Ormond Plant Farm.
The Cronin hybrids (also called the Commonwealth hybrids) were F2 selections (Anon, 1917)
produced from pink and white forms of W. borbonica, W. meriana and W. aletroides (Pescott,
1926). These species were also used by other breeders, such as Philip Montague at Montague's
Nursery in Frankston, Victoria. Several breeders in New South Wales were working independently
with W. meriana, a white-flowered variant of W. borbonica and W. coccinea after finding the Cronin
hybrids useless for further development (Cowlishaw, 1928). These breeders all aimed to produce a
wider range of colours, including two-toned or three-toned flowers; increase flower size; produce a
denser inflorescence by increasing branching; lengthen the flowering period, especially into the
early spring period and adapt the plants to a wider range of climates including the hot humid
spring-summer conditions of the east coast.
Flower shapes were classified by Burbank (1914) as star-shaped, having an almost stellate limb with
lanceolate, acute lobes, and broad-petal or imbricated in which the lobes were broadened, leading
to undulate margins and obtuse apices.
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Most Watsonia flowers contain at least one red/purple anthocyanin pigment; pelargonidin has
been found in W. borbonica, W. tabularis and W. meriana as a mixture of the 3-glucoside, 3-
sophoroside and 3-sophoroside-7-glucoside (Harborne, 1963). The last named is a rare yellow-
orange pigment otherwise known only from Petunia and Papaver (Harborne, 1967). The pale yellow
flavonol pigments are also present (Williams et al., 1986).
By 1930 there was probably a greater range of watsonias available in Australia than in any other
country. However, they never seriously rivalled the hybrid Gladiolus cultivars in popularity or variety.
Gladiolus breeding had about seven decades head start, and gladioli had the advantage of being
familiar flowers in the European gardens that were still imitated by the Australian bourgeoisie. Nor
were watsonias promoted by the new wave of Australian garden designers who began to define an
indigenous garden style in the 1930s.
Hitchmough (1989) and Macoboy (1991) suggested that most of the named cultivars are now lost,
inasmuch as the correct application of their names is now only conjectural and the few Watsonia
cultivars still on the market are sold by flower colour or as mixed hybrids. Even at the Melbourne
Botanic Gardens, no documentation of Cronin's work remains (R. Spencer, pers. comm.); the pile of
Cronin's papers incinerated by his successor in 1934 (J.H. Willis, pers. comm.) may have included any
records of his Watsonia. Some unnamed hybrid Watsonia still growing there may be remnants of his
stock. A similar situation exists in New Zealand, where Hatch (1992) found a promiscuous array of
naturalised Watsonia as raw material for breeding new compact cultivars. In the USA and Britain
some named cultivars are still on the market, including 'Dazzler', 'Early Dawn', 'Flamboyant',
'Seashell' and 'Snow Queen' as well as some in this list.
Few new watsonias have been released on the market in the last fifty years, the exceptions being a
few evergreen cultivars released by David Thomson in the 60s and species imported by specialist
collectors. The proclamation of W. bulbillifera under weeds legislation in several states may have
made nurseries chary of importing other members of the genus. However, in the last decade there
has been a gradual increase in the number of species advertised by the few bulb nurseries that
offer them.
Flower pigments were first investigated by Horn (1963) who reported 8 anthocyanins, forms of
delphinidin, malvidin, cyanidin, petunidin and pelargonidin in mixed hybrids of W. meriana and W.
borbonica. He also concluded that the acyanic flowers of Arderne’s White were due to a dominant
suppressor for floral anthocyanins from the approximately 3:5 segregation ratio in the F2 when this
cultivar was crossed to the hybrids. However, this might also have been due to a recessive allele for
white, present undetected in the hybrids as well as in the homozygous white. This was confirmed
by Cooke (2010).
New initiatives in Watsonia breeding are implied by the recent work on induced polyploidy
(Ascough et al, 2008; Thompson et al, 2010).
The following checklist is a ‘first pass’ through the available publications, with a strong bias toward
cultivars released in Australia.
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ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF CULTIVARS
Watsonia ‘Adelaide’ Renascent, early spring-flowering; to 4 feet. Spike erect with few side-
branches. Perianth orange-red (Warner, 1924; Dransfield, 1925); described as orange-scarlet
(Culturist, 1928; Law Somner, 1933) with a lighter throat (Anon, 1930), or orange (Lucas, 1931;
Brunning, 1934). One of the Cronin hybrids, released circa 1924 by Warner & Son.
Watsonia ‘Adrian Nall’ Renascent, spring-flowering, 5 foot tall. Long flowering season due to
much-branched inflorescence with flowers close together. Perianth widely open, crushed
strawberry colour. Bred by Mrs. E. Dransfield and released in 1925. (Dransfield 1925a,b; 1926).
Watsonia ‘Alberti’ Released by J.H. Bullard in 1912 (Payne, 1929) but dropped from Payne’s
catalogue by 1929. From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’.
Watsonia ‘Albury’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth buff with red throat. Bred by John Cronin
in Melbourne and released by Ormond Plant Farm in 1930.
Watsonia aletroides ‘Coral Bells’ Renascent, early spring-flowering, short. Perianth tubular,
pendulous, red with white tip (Montague, 1930). Apparently a selection, hardly differing from other
W. aletroides.
Watsonia aletroides ‘Rosea’ Grown at Melbourne Botanic Gardens (Guilfoyle, 1883). Offered in
1990s by Garry and Sue Reid, Wodonga.
Watsonia ‘Amber’ Hybrid of W. knysnana. Perianth pale orange. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South
Africa, not grown in Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia ‘America’ Soft rose pink faintly flushed with lilac and salmon, large flowers with broad
slightly crinkled lobes; some with 8 lobes; medium height. Released by J.H. Bullard in 1920s (Payne,
1929). From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’
Watsonia ‘Amethystina’ Evergreen, summer flowering. Flowers described as "an unusual smoky
plum shade" (Thomson, 1968).
Watsonia ‘Ansonia’ Rose pink with salmon and lilac tints, large star-shaped flowers with acute
lobes; blossoms arranged loosely on tall stems, released by J.H. Bullard in 1912 (Payne, 1929). From
W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’.
Watsonia ‘Apricot Haze’ Hybrid of W. knysnana. Perianth tube warm pink, lobes paler. Bred by
Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia ‘Auckland’ Semi dwarf, perianth rich salmon-pink (Harrison, 1969) or apricot-pink
(Redgrove, 1991). Currently available in New Zealand; may be one of the Cronin hybrids.
Watsonia ‘Aurora’ Brilliant orange-scarlet, flowers somewhat cup-shaped, arranged closely. Early,
short habit. Released by J.H. Bullard in 1918/19. From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne,
1929).
Watsonia ‘Australia’ Renascent. Flowers imbricated, large. Perianth vieux rose and soft pink
(Warner, 1926; Montague, 1930). One of the Cronin hybrids, released circa 1925.
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Watsonia ‘Avalon’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth tricoloured, a pale pink but shading to
mauve and salmon (Montague, 1930; Brunning, 1934). Bred in Melbourne, released in the 1920s.
Watsonia ‘Ballarat’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth pale blush pink (Warner, 1926;
Montague, 1930). Free-flowering. Bred by John Cronin in Melbourne, released circa 1925 by Warner
& Son.
Watsonia ‘Beatrice’ really a colloquial name for the beatricis hybrids. Natural hybrids of W. pillansii,
they are illustrated by Eliovson (1968, p. 213). They flower January-February in the wild, but July-
August in England (Ryder, 1935). Selections bred recently by Western Hills Nursery, California, have
white to crimson flowers. In California, at least three "Beatrice Hybrids" - Orange, Pink and Red - are
now known. One of these is growing at Melbourne Botanic Garden.
Watsonia ‘Beauty’ Perianth very pale pink (Montague, 1930; Brunning, 1934). Renascent, spring-
flowering. Bred in Sydney in the 1920s.
Watsonia ‘Bessie Schubert’ Tyrian pink with lighter shadings, darker outside tube. Tall,
late. Released by J.H. Bullard in 1920s (Payne, 1929). From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’.
Watsonia ‘Best Red’ Renascent, over 1m tall. Perianth light red self. Grown in Scotland by Michael
Wickenden (Hoyland, 2002; RHS, 2005).
Watsonia borbonica ‘Arderne's White’ Mathew (1994, p.39) Stems to 2m, creamy white flowers,
yellow anthers, arcuate stamens. It was marketed in England in the 1890s by R. Wallace & Co. of
Colchester (Watson, 1896), and in the USA by A. Blanc & Co. as The Pride of Algoa Bay (Blanc, 1892).
Watsonia borbonica ‘Celeste’ Perianth medium pink. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not
grown in Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia borbonica ‘Fairy White’ 100-150 cm tall. Perianth pure white, anthers cream-yellow.
Currently available in the trade from Tesselaar (1997).
Watsonia borbonica ‘Persephone’ Perianth pale pink. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not
grown in Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia borbonica ‘Salome’ Perianth coral pink. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown
in Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia borbonica ‘Snow white’ Perianth white. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown
in Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia borbonica ‘Victoria’ Perianth magenta. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown
in Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia ‘Bright Eyes’ Perianth a rich lilac-pink. Currently available in New Zealand (Redgrove,
1991) and USA (Bryan, 1994).
Watsonia ‘Brightness’ Evergreen. Flowers in spring, "a bright shade" (Thomson, 1968).
Watsonia ‘Brighton’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth "purple in a bright and pleasing shade".
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Bred by John Cronin in Melbourne and first released by Ormond Plant Farm in 1930.
Watsonia ‘Brisbane’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth purple (Warner, 1926; Lucas, 1924). One
of the Cronin hybrids, released by Warner & Son in 1926; however, the name was very soon
misapplied, flowers being described as crimson scarlet in the Ormond Plant Farm 1930 catalogue
and clear flesh pink by Law Somner (1927), Culturist (1928) and Montague (1930).
Watsonia 'Brisbane' sensu Cowlishaw (1928) and later authors. Renascent, spring-flowering.
Perianth was described as a clear flesh pink or salmon pink. Possibly another of the Cronin hybrids,
also distributed under this name by Montague (1930) and Law Somner (1933).
Watsonia ‘Burbank's Pink’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth soft pink, tepal margins undulate.
Introduced from the U.S.A. before 1930.
Watsonia ‘Califlora’ cultivar group A strain bred from several species and in several colours; ideal
for spring planting to flower in summer in colder areas (Bryan, 1994).
Watsonia ‘Canberra’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth a deep rosy-mauve; one of the Cronin
hybrids. Currently available in New Zealand (Redgrove, 1991).
Watsonia ‘Caulfield’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Flowers large. Perianth pale pink. Bred by John
Cronin in Melbourne and released by Ormond Plant Farm in 1930. (Robinson, 1934).
Watsonia ‘Cherry Splash’ Tall. A contemporary Califlora watsonia grown in USA.
Watsonia ‘Clementina’ Salmon-rose with violet and orange shadings, darker in the throat. Flowers
closely arranged. Released by J.H. Bullard in 1912 (Payne, 1929). Introduced to Australia in the 1920s.
(Montague, 1930). From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’.
Watsonia ‘Clarendon Pearl’ Renascent, spring-flowering; tall, to 7 feet. Large flowers with waxy
appearance. Perianth pure white, lobes broad with undulate margins, possibly indicating
tetraploidy. Bred in Australia in the 1920s (Dransfield, 1925).
Watsonia ‘Clarendon White’ Renascent, spring-flowering; fairly tall. Large flowers, perianth pure
white, lobes broad with undulate margins described as fringed or fimbriate. Bred by Mrs E.
Dransfield in the 1920s (Dransfield,1928).
Watsonia ‘Clunes’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth white with a mauve throat. Bred by John
Cronin in Melbourne and named after his hometown, released by Ormond Plant Farm in 1930.
Watsonia ‘Combustion’ Renascent, dwarf with short slender leaves; early spring flowering. Flowers
‘intense fiery scarlet salmon’. To 3 feet tall. Bred by Luther Burbank, introduced 1917 (Burbank,
1917).
Watsonia ‘Coral’ Hybrid of W. knysnana. Perianth warm medium pink. Bred by Gavin Schafer in
South Africa, not grown in Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia 'Coral Bells' Dransfield (1925a,b) = Watsonia aletroides (Burm.f.)Ker Gawler.
Watsonia ‘Corallina’ Renascent, flowering in late spring. Flowers star-shaped due to the lanceolate
acute perianth lobes narrower than in most hybrids. Perianth was described as "an entirely new
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colour... coral chrome shade, with a touch of salmon" (Montague, 1930), "chocolate-chrome"
(Brunning, 1934), or as coral-buff shaded salmon. Bred in Australia in the 1920s.
Watsonia ‘Cream Cup’ Flowers cup-shaped, creamy white. Small. Released by J.H. Bullard in 1920s
(Payne, 1929). From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’.
Watsonia ‘Crimson’ Renascent, dwarf. Red flowers. Bred by Luther Burbank, introduced 1915
(Burbank, 1915).
Watsonia ‘Crimson Lake’ Evergreen. Perianth deep alizarin pink. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South
Africa, not grown in Australia. Hybrid of W. knysnana and W. 'Tzitsikamma Special', possibly with W.
pulchra as an ancestor. (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia Cronini “Culturist” (1924). A nomen nudum, applied to a hybrid bred by John Cronin, with
flowers “between flame and tangerine”.
Watsonia cronini Anon (1924a). A nomen nudum, applied to any of the hybrids bred by John Cronin.
Also mentioned by Anon (1926).
Watsonia ‘Croydon’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth pale mauve, darker shaded in the tube.
Bred by John Cronin in Melbourne and released by Ormond Plant Farm in 1930.
Watsonia ‘Curviflora’ Spike curved laterally. Perianth light magenta. Said to have been bred in
Australia (Pescott, 1926). First mentioned by Schomburgk (1871) but with a ? and dropped from the
next catalogue (Schomburgk, 1878). Possibly the form of W. marginata called saxophone watsonia.
Watsonia ‘C. Woodnough’ Growing at Sydney Botanic Garden.
Watsonia ‘Dazzler’ Described as red, or orange with a purple throat (Bryan, 1994). Not in Australia.
Grown in England, and by Laneveld and San Marcos Growers, California
http://www.smgrowers.com/index2.htm
Watsonia densiflora ‘Alba’ is an albino with pure white flowers (Miller & Hubbard, 1917) and brown
bracts. Introduced from Natal and first flowered at Kew in 1891 (Watson, 1891). An unnamed dark
burgundy form is also cultivated in South Africa (Eliovson, 1968).
Watsonia ‘Diana’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth rich lilac-mauve, or light heliotrope
(Montague, 1930). Released by J.H. Bullard in 1920s (Payne, 1929). From W. angusta and W.
‘Arderne’s White’. Introduced to Australia before 1930.
Dow hybrids bred by Peter H. Dow Ltd, New Zealand. Many colours, mostly renascent.
Watsonia ‘Early Dawn’ Not in Australia. Grown at San Marcos Growers, California
http://www.smgrowers.com/index2.htm
Watsonia ‘Edward D. Sturtevant’ Renascent, spring-flowering, medium tall. Perianth large, orange-
scarlet with long acute lobes. Released by J.H. Bullard in 1918. From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s
White’ (Payne, 1929). Introduced to Australia before 1930.
Watsonia ‘Ember Glow’ Spike axis deep red. Perianth deep coral pink, tube sloping upward, lobes
flared, oblanceolate, obtuse. Deciduous, 1m tall, late spring to summer flowering. Grown in New
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Zealand, not recorded in Australia.
Watsonia ‘Estrella’ Perianth star-shaped, creamy white, loosely arranged. 4-5 feet tall. Released by
J.H. Bullard in 1918. From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne, 1929).
Watsonia ‘Eunice’ Perianth star-shaped, flesh pink tinged with salmon. Flowers loosely arranged.
Released by J.H. Bullard in 1918. From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne, 1929).
Watsonia ‘Eunice Hunt’ Renascent, late spring-flowering. Tall. Perianth salmon-apricot (Brunning,
1934). Bred in Australia in the late 1920s.
Watsonia ‘Fabia’ Evergreen, winter flowering. Flowers "Chinese coral" (Thomson, 1968).
Watsonia ‘Fanny Lyon’ Perianth apricot buff. Flowers large, obtuse lobes, loosely arcuate stamens.
5-6 feet tall. Released by J.H. Bullard in 1919. From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne,
1929). Introduced to Australia by 1930.
Watsonia ‘Flamboyant’ Tall. Deep rose pink with darker throat. Not in Australia. Grown at San
Marcos Growers, California http://www.smgrowers.com/index2.htm Also one of the Califlora
watsonias.
Watsonia ‘Flame’ Evergreen, flowering in summer. Perianth bright orange. Probably derived from
W. pillansii. Marketed in the late 1940s by Lawrence Ball of Mount Evelyn, Victoria. The plant now
grown in Britain (RHS, 2005) may be the same.
Watsonia fourcadei ‘Roselea’ Pink perianth. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in
Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia fourcadei ‘Stanford's Scarlet’ brilliant scarlet flowers in November (Eliovson 1955 p.151,
fig. p.35; Eliovson, 1968). Widely grown in Britain (RHS 2005) as ‘Stanford Scarlet’.
Watsonia galpinii ‘Orange’ Selection bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in Australia
(Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia galpinii ‘Scarlet’ Selection bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in Australia
(Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia ‘Garland’ Rose–lavender flowers on branched stems. Bred by Luther Burbank, introduced
1915 (Burbank, 1915).
Watsonia ‘Geisha’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth rosy-pink suffused with mauve (Anon,
1930).
Watsonia ‘General Pershing’ Perianth large, long-tubed with cup-shaped limb, lobes broad obtuse
to apiculate, pink with salmon tints. Stamens loosely arcuate. Released by J.H. Bullard in 1920s
(Payne, 1929). Introduced to Australia before 1930. From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’
Watsonia ‘Gigantea’ An alternative name for 'Spicata'. A plant with this name was grown at the
Melbourne Botanic Gardens (Guilfoyle, 1883).
Watsonia ‘Harriott’ Renascent, medium height, spring-flowering. Perianth strawberry pink with
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violet shading, lobes long, acute. Released by J.H. Bullard in the 1920s. From W. angusta and W.
‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne, 1929).
Watsonia ‘Harry Johnson’ Renascent, spring-flowering, medium height. Perianth large, salmon
pink with orange and purple tints; lobes obtuse. Described as salmon-orange by Brunning (1940).
Released by J.H. Bullard in 1918, introduced to Australia by 1930. From W. angusta and W.
‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne, 1929).
Watsonia ‘Hazel’ Renascent, spring-flowering, medium height. Perianth star shaped, coral pink with
darker central stripe on each lobe into tube, acute lanceolate lobes. Described as pale orange by
Brunning (1940). Released by J.H. Bullard in 1918, introduced to Australia by 1930. From W. angusta
and W. ‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne, 1929).
Watsonia ‘Herbert Hoover’ Renascent, spring-flowering, medium height. Perianth salmon pink with
orange shading. Lobes long, acute. Released by J.H. Bullard in the 1920s, introduced to Australia by
1930. From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne, 1929).
Watsonia ‘Hobart’ Renascent, late spring-flowering. Flowers large "well-shaped, round". Perianth
described as pure white (Warner, 1924; Pescott, 1926) or blush white (Harrison, 1969); or ‘soft rose
pink’ (Brunning, 1940). Lucas (1931) described the tepals as frilled. One of the Cronin hybrids,
released circa 1924 by Warner & Son.
Watsonia ‘Hobart’ sensu Montague (1930) and Brunning (1949). Renascent, spring-flowering. Said
to have soft rose-pink flowers. Later distributed under this name by Law Somner.
Watsonia ‘Holloway's Giant White’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Flowers large. Perianth pure
white. First mention Yates 1938 : 50
Watsonia ‘Ida Edwards’ Grown in Britain (RHS, 2005).
Watsonia ‘Illumination’ Perianth a rich rose pink, or rosy-purple with violet centre (Harrison, 1969).
Currently available in New Zealand, possibly also in Australia.
Watsonia ‘Ivory Towers’ Flowers white with a hint of yellow on midline. Lobes oblanceolate,
subacute, somewhat hooded. Anthers cream. (Tesselaar, 2000; Tesselaar, 2002; Trenton Cottage,
2003)
Watsonia ‘James MacGillivray’ Perianth begonia rose with coral tints and a darker throat. Lobes
acute, flowers closely arranged. Late flowering. Described as rosy-magenta by Montague (1930).
Released by J.H. Bullard in 1919, introduced to Australia by 1930. From W. angusta and W.
‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne, 1929).
Watsonia ‘J.J. Dean’ Perianth open, rose with violet tints and a darker throat; lobes broad, flowers
closely arranged. Described as ruby-magenta by Brunning (1940). Released by J.H. Bullard in 1919,
introduced to Australia by 1930. From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne, 1929).
Watsonia ‘Jessie’ Renascent to 1.2 m tall. Leaves to 70 cm long, 30 mm wide. Spike with 12-20
flowers on main axis (5-6 open at once), with 2-4 side branches. Bract 21-27 mm long, exceeding the
internodes, fully herbaceous but pink near the apex at anthesis, soon becoming half scarious.
Bracteole subequal, acute. Perianth tube 30-34 mm long, a deep warm pink externally, the distal
part funnel-shaped, almost horizontal, 20-24 mm long, 8-10 mm wide at mouth. Lobes lanceolate,
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acute, flared but the upper one less so, 30-35 mm long, 12-15 mm wide, the inner three broader than
the outer, uniformly pale pink with a deeper warm pink streak from near the centre. Stamens
unilateral, arcuate; anthers deflexed below style, 10 mm long, purple. Style branches far exceeding
the anthers. Capsule clavate, acute, 30-36 mm long. Seeds unequally 2-winged, 12-16 mm long,
stramineous. Derived from W. borbonica and W. meriana. Possibly one of the Cronin hybrids such as
'Australia' but described under this new name by Cooke (1998). Still available in the trade as an
unnamed variety.
Watsonia ‘Jewell’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Stem twisted (Montague, 1930). Perianth small,
ruby-claret; or magenta (Brunning, 1940). A variant of W. 'Spicata' according to the 1939 Law
Somner Catalogue.
Watsonia knysnana ‘Helvetica’ Perianth white. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not known in
Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia knysnana ‘Helvetica Pink’ Perianth pale pink. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not
known in Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia knysnana ‘Pink Lady’ Perianth pink. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not known in
Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia knysnana ‘Porcelain Pink’ Perianth pink. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not known
in Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia ‘Lady Fawkes’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth salmon-red; or orange-red
(Cowlishaw, 1928). Bred in Sydney in the early 1920s and marketed by Yates in 1930s. Produces
salmon-pinks when crossed with white W. borbonica ardernei (Cowlishaw, 1928).
Watsonia ‘Leng’ Renascent, to 170 cm tall. Leaves to 32 mm wide, 80 cm long. Spike with 16-22 in
flowers (about 5-6 open at once, loosely spaced) plus 3-5 branches, some secondarily branched.
Bract 14-21 mm long, slightly shorter than or equal to the internode, herbaceous but purplish-tinted
below, scarious distally, acute. Bracteole subequal, bifid. Perianth a cool mauve (RHS 80B) on
edges of lobes shading gradually to pale mauve (RHS 80D) on tube. Tube 36-42 mm long, the basal
part pale 12-15 mm long, to 2 mm wide, the distal part funnel-shaped, decurved, 20-28 mm long, 8-10
mm wide at mouth. Lobes oblanceolate, flared at right angles to tube or slightly recurved; outer
lobes 33-38 mm long, 13-17 mm wide, obtuse, apiculate; inner lobes 37-43 mm long, 17-20 mm wide,
lanceolate, subacute with undulate margins;. Stamens arcuate; anthers hardly deflexed below
style, to 13 mm long, dark purple. Style branches subequal to stamens. Fruit clavate, acute, 27-30
mm long. Seeds 14-18 mm long, brown with two unequal stramineous wings. Described under this
name by Cooke (1998) from an old roadside planting in the Adelaide Hills.
Watsonia ‘Lesley Carson’ Perianth salmon-pink. Renascent, spring-flowering. Bred in Queensland,
probably in the 1930s.
Watsonia ‘Lilac Towers’ (Tesselaar, 2000; Trenton Cottage, 2003; Cooke, 2005) Renascent, to
185 cm tall. Leaves to 120 cm long, 35 mm wide. Spike with 10-20 flowers on the main axis (5-8 open
at once) plus several branches which may be secondarily branched. Bract to 22 mm long, shorter
than the internode, obtuse, scarious towards the apex but usually fleshy at base. Bracteole slightly
shorter, emarginate. Tube 30-42 mm long, the basal part to 2.5 mm wide, the distal part funnel-
shaped, almost horizontal, 18-23 mm long, 9-11 mm wide at mouth, magenta pink (RHS 66C)
shading to maroon (RHS 61B) at base. Lobes flared at right angles to tube, pale magenta (RHS 66D)
11
externally, pale magenta-pink (RHS 63C) internally with a darker pink streak at base; apices
subacute to obtuse. Outer lobes obovate-elliptic 28-36 mm long, 13-17 mm wide; inner lobes
obovate, 30-40 mm long, 16-19 mm wide. Stamens arcuate below the style; anthers to 13 mm long,
purple. Style subequal to anthers. Capsule clavate, tapered at apex, 30-39 mm long. Seeds
unequally 2-winged, 11-17 mm long. This is one of the F2 hybrid cultivars bred by John Cronin from
W. borbonica and W. meriana; possibly identical to Watsonia ‘Sydney’.
Watsonia ‘Lock’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Flowers very large with long tube. Perianth bright
pink. Bred by John Cronin in Melbourne and released by Ormond Plant Farm in 1930.
Watsonia ‘Lorne’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth rosy pink, darker shaded in the tube. Bred
by John Cronin in Melbourne and released by Ormond Plant Farm in 1930.
Watsonia ‘Los Angeles’ Perianth cup-shaped, lilac pink with darker markings toward edge of lobes.
Tall. Released by J.H. Bullard in the 1920s, introduced to Australia by 1930. From W. angusta and W.
‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne, 1929).
Watsonia ‘Madame Modjeska’ Perianth rich deep magenta, lobes broad. Released by J.H. Bullard in
1912, introduced to Australia by 1930. From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne, 1929).
Watsonia ‘Marion Welsh’ Perianth large, orange vermillion with darker throat; lobes long, acute;
flowers evenly arranged. Released by J.H. Bullard in 1919, introduced to Australia by 1930 and sold
as “Madame Welch”. From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne, 1929).
Watsonia ‘Maitland’ Renascent, late spring-flowering; tall. Perianth large, open, described as
"crushed strawberry" colour (Dransfield, 1928; Montague, 1930; Law Somner, 1939) or as salmon-
mauve flushed orange (Harrison, 1969); or just strawberry (Brunning, 1940). Bred in Australia in the
late 1920s and marketed by Yates in the 1930s.
Watsonia ‘Malvern’ Renascent, spring-flowering, relatively large flowers. Perianth described as
pale heliotrope, clear orchid-pink, or orchid-purple (Bryan, 1994). Bred by John Cronin in Melbourne
and released by Ormond Plant Farm in 1930. Apparently still available in England and California; a
pink with this name is sold by Langevelds.
Watsonia marginata ‘Marjorie’ Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in Australia
(Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia marginata ‘Snowspike’ Perianth white. In recent catalogues of Drewitt & Sons nursery,
Victoria.
Watsonia marginata ‘Starspike’ Perianth large, magenta. Said to be a selection from populations at
the Cape. In recent catalogues of Viburnum Gardens.
Watsonia ‘Mauve’ Perianth clear lilac mauve with a darker central stripe on each lobe. Large
flowers with broad lobes. Medium height, late flowering. Released by J.H. Bullard in the 1920s
(Payne, 1929). From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’
Watsonia ‘Mauveen’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Tall. Perianth deep mauve (Brunning, 1934). Bred
in Australia in the 1920s.
Watsonia ‘Melbourne’ Renascent, spring-flowering; to 4 feet. Perianth large, described as "shell
12
pink" (Brunning, 1924; Robinson, 1934), salmon-pink (Warner, 1924; Dransfield, 1925a,b; Pescott,
1926; Cowlishaw, 1928; Lucas, 1931), buff salmon (Law Somner, 1927; 1933), buff scarlet (Culturist,
1928) or buff salmon shaded darker in centre (Yates, 1936). Bred by John Cronin in Melbourne and
released circa 1923 by Warner & Son. Liable to burn badly in Sydney (Cowlishaw, 1928).
Watsonia meriana var. bulbillifera ‘Orange Wax’ Selection with orange perianth, robust texture,
bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia meriana ‘Aphrodite’ Perianth coral pink with dark central band in tepals. Bred by Gavin
Schafer in South Africa, not grown in Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia meriana ‘Bella’ Perianth magenta. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in
Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia meriana ‘Carnea’ Grown at Melbourne Botanic Gardens (Guilfoyle, 1883).
Watsonia meriana ‘Coral Pink’ Perianth coral pink. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown
in Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia meriana ‘Excelsa’ Grown at Melbourne Botanic Gardens (Guilfoyle, 1883).
Watsonia meriana ‘Rosea’ Grown at Melbourne Botanic Gardens (Guilfoyle, 1883).
Watsonia meriana ‘Lemon Chiffon’ Perianth white. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not
grown in Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia meriana ‘Tangerine’ Perianth orange. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in
Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia meriana ‘Vanilla Sky’ Perianth white. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in
Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia ‘Meteor’ Very tall; 3.5-inch flowers. Bred by Luther Burbank, introduced in 1915 (Burbank,
1915).
Watsonia ‘Montague's Pink’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth shell pink. Bred by Philip
Montague and released in autumn 1937. "Very free flowering" (Law Somner, 1939).
Watsonia ‘Montague's Salmon Pink’ Evergreen. Perianth salmon pink. Bred by Philip Montague
and released in autumn 1937.
Watsonia ‘Moonshine’ White, deciduous, 1.2 m tall, late spring flowering. Grown in New Zealand,
not recorded in Australia.
Watsonia ‘Mount Congreve’ Grown in Britain (RHS 2002), not recorded in Australia.
Watsonia ‘Mrs Bullard's White’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth pure white, the broad lobes
overlapping and undulate. Released by J.H. Bullard in the 1920s (Payne, 1929), introduced to
Australia before 1930 as 'Bullard's White'; still grown in USA (e.g. by Langeveld's) and England.
Regarded by Bryan (1994) as the finest white cultivar. From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’.
13
Watsonia ‘Mrs Ella Birney’ Perianth cup-shaped, rose with white markings in tube. Tall. Released by
J.H. Bullard in the 1920s (Payne, 1929). From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’.
Watsonia ‘Multiflora’ Renascent. Pale-rose flowers appearing early in spring. Also called "fulgens"
by Montague (1930).
Watsonia ‘Narrabeen’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth deep salmon pink (Brunning, 1949).
Bred in Sydney in the 1920s and marketed by Yates in the 1930s.
Watsonia ‘Netta’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth clear soft salmon-pink (Montague, 1930).
Bred in Australia in the late 1920s.
Watsonia ‘Novelty’ Perianth almost yellow (Montague, 1930). Bred in Australia in the 1920s.
Possibly from W. meriana as Goldblatt (1989) mentions wild near-yellow sports of this.
Watsonia ‘Orangea’ Evergreen, summer-flowering but some flowers throughout the year.
Perianth orange-red, anthers long and bluish (Dransfield 1925b). Bred in Australia and first released
by Brunnings (1918, p.27). Spikes loose and sometimes flexuose (Dransfield, 1926) or drooping.
Medium height. Illustrated on cover of The Home Gardener 13(12) in 1929 by a painting submitted
by Philip Montague: rather zygomorphic deep orange flowers with broad obtuse lobes.
Watsonia ‘Orange Beauty’ Won an award of merit at RHS London. “Flowers are similar in shape
and size to those of W. meriana, but light orange in colour” (Anon., 1928).
Watsonia ‘Paragon’ 2.5 metres tall. Flowers red-purple; saucer shaped. Bred by Luther Burbank,
introduced in 1915. (Burbank, 1915).
Watsonia ‘Peach Blossom’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth peach-blossom pink. Bred in the
late 1920s.
Watsonia 'Peach Blow' Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth pale pink. Bred in the late 1920s.
Watsonia ‘Pearl Dickel’ Perianth white with cream and faint markings; lobes obtuse. Medium
height. Tall. Released by J.H. Bullard in the 1920s (Payne, 1929). From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s
White’.
Watsonia 'Perfection' Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth pale pink. First released by Brunnings
(1918, p.27). Also called W. obrienii 'Pink Perfection' (Hackett, 1924 p.28).
Watsonia ‘Perth’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth rosy purple (Warner, 1926), later described
(Law Somner, 1927,1933; Culturist, 1928; Lucas, 1931; Lothian, 1955, 1973) as magenta. Very free-
flowering (Warner, ibid.). One of the Cronin hybrids, released circa 1924 by Warner & Son.
Watsonia pillansii ‘Mars’ Selection bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in Australia
(Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia pillansii ‘Orange’ Selection bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in Australia
(Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia pillansii ‘Volcano’ Selection bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in Australia
(Sadawatara, 2010).
14
Watsonia ‘Pink Beauty’ Renascent, spring-flowering, tall with branching inflorescence. Perianth
widely open, pale pink (Dransfield, 1925a, b).
Watsonia ‘Pink Lady’ Hybrid of W. knysnana. Perianth tube deep pink, lobes paler with deep central
stripe. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia ‘Pink Opal’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Up to 10 flowers open at once. Perianth
uniformly pale pink, or "fuchsia pink" (Harrison, 1969), or bright soft pink (Bryan, 1994). Lobes
flared, obovate, obtuse, the inner three broader than the outer. Stamens unilateral, arcuate.
Produced relatively recently in New Zealand by Harrison (Salinger, 1985) from W. borbonica and
either white-flowered subsp. ardernei or W. versfeldii. May occur in Australia.
Watsonia ‘Pink Perle’ [Pink Pearl] Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth a pale pink, described as
"pearly pink". Bred in Australia in late 1920s. In New Zealand applied to a large pale lilac-pink
(Harrison, 1969).
Watsonia ‘Porcelain Pink’ Hybrid of W. knysnana. Perianth pale pink with darker stripe on each
tepal. Bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia ‘Portland’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth pale salmon-pink. Bred by John Cronin
in Melbourne and released by Ormond Plant Farm in 1930. From W. borbonica and W. meriana.
Watsonia ‘Queenstown’ Renascent, spring flowering; dwarf. Perianth lilac mauve (Warner, 1926).
One of the Cronin hybrids, released circa 1925 by Warner & Son.
Watsonia ‘Radiance’ Very early; nearly everblooming; salmon. Bred by Luther Burbank, introduced
in 1915. (Burbank, 1915).
Watsonia ‘Roberto’ Tall, renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth rose pink with coral central stripe
on each lobe, lilac-rose on back of lobes and exterior of tube. Large flowers with broad lobes.
Released by J.H. Bullard in the 1920s, introduced to Australia by 1930 where flower colour was
described as "rosy-chrome" shaded purple on the outside, or as rosy buff suffused mauve. From W.
angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne, 1929).
Watsonia ‘Rosa Holloway’ [or Rose Holloway] Renascent, spring-flowering. Flowers large. Perianth
pale pink (Brunning, 1949). Bred in Australia in the late 1920s.
Watsonia ‘Rose’ Released by J.H. Bullard in 1912. From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne,
1929).
Watsonia ‘Rosea Purpurea’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Flowers purple-rose (Law Somner, 1939),
possibly a form of W. borbonica with darker flowers.
Watsonia ‘Rose Perle’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth deep rose. Bred in Australia in the late
1920s.
Watsonia ‘Rose’s Flame’ a hybrid of W. beatricis with flame-orange flowers, named for Rose
Williams. Suncrest Nurseries, California.
Watsonia ‘Royal White’ Flowers large, pure white, very numerous in twice-branched spikes. 4-5
15
feet tall. Bred by Luther Burbank, introduced 1917 (Burbank, 1917).
Watsonia ‘Rubra’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth deep wine-red. Bred in California in the late
1920s; still available in New Zealand and England, and a "rose" flowered plant is sold under this
name by Langeveld's. Described by Bryan (1994) as pinkish to fuchsia red.
Watsonia ‘Ruby’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth clear amethyst (i.e., very deep clear purple-
red). Bred in Australia, and first mentioned in Brunnings' 1922 catalogue p.66. .
Watsonia ‘Sale’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth pale salmon-pink, darker shaded on the
exterior. Also described as pure salmon by Robinson (1934). Bred by John Cronin in Melbourne and
released by Ormond Plant Farm in 1930.
Watsonia ‘Salmonette’ Renascent, spring-flowering; tall. Perianth pale salmon pink. Bred in
Australia in the 1920s.
Watsonia ‘Salmonia’ Fiery salmon flowers with long tube, compact spike, short dark green leaves.
Bred by Luther Burbank, introduced 1917 (Burbank, 1917).
Watsonia ‘San Diego’ Renascent, spring-flowering, medium. Perianth light salmon pink with darker
shading and darker central stripe on each lobe. Released by J.H. Bullard in the 1920s, introduced to
Australia by 1930 where flower colour was described as pale red by Brunning (1940). From W.
angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne, 1929).
Watsonia ‘Santa Ana’ Perianth light salmon-orange with darker shading inside tube and flame
scarlet outside. Large flowers with acute lobes, arranged evenly on stems and ascending. Released
by J.H. Bullard in the 1920s. From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne, 1929).
Watsonia ‘Seashell’ Not found in Australia. Grown at San Marcos Growers, California
http://www.smgrowers.com/index2.htm
Watsonia ‘Smoke’ Medium height. Perianth salmon rose overlaid with smoky violet and coral red
inside and outside tube. Lobes oblong, somewhat acute. Released by J.H. Bullard in the 1920s. From
W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’ (Payne, 1929).
Watsonia ‘Snow Bell’ Tall. Clear crisp pure white. A contemporary Califlora watsonia grown in
USA.
Watsonia ‘Snow Queen’ White. Not in Australia. Grown at San Marcos Growers, California
http://www.smgrowers.com/index2.htm
Watsonia ‘Snow Storm’ Flowers pure white, open saucer-shaped, nearly three inches across. 4-7
feet tall. Bred by Luther Burbank, introduced 1917 (Burbank, 1917).
Watsonia ‘Stanford’s Orange’ May be another selection of W. fourcadei. In 1935, T.T.Barnard
exhibited a hybrid of this with W. angusta at RHS show (J. RHS 60: cxlii).
Watsonia ‘SuiLan’ Renascent to 140 cm tall. Leaves to 70 cm long, 34 mm wide. Spike with 16-24
flowers (about 6-7 open at once, overlapping and congested) on a tough green axis, and about 3
branches. Bract to 20 mm long, barely exceeding the internode, herbaceous at base, distal two-
thirds maroon-scarious. Bracteole subequal, bifid. Perianth magenta in bud, opening magenta-pink
16
RHS 67C at edges to 74C in middle of lobes; shading into darker warm pink RHS 57C on outside of
tube but very pale warm pink 55B inside; small darker mark at base of each lobe. Tube to 41 mm
long, gently bent, the distal part funnel-shaped, ascending to horizontal, 14-17 mm long, 10-11 mm
wide at mouth. Lobes widely flaring to recurved with recurving margins, the outer 32-40 mm long,
14-18 mm wide, oblanceolate, obtuse; the inner 36-43 mm long, 18-23 mm wide, obovate, with
undulate margins. Stamens arcuate; anthers deflexed below style, to 13 mm long, purple. Style
branches subequal to anthers, pink. Capsules obovoid, obtuse, 25-28 mm long. Seeds 7-11 mm long,
brown with two short unequal stramineous wings. Described under this name by Cooke (1998)
from an old roadside planting in the Adelaide Hills. Probably not Cronin material.
Watsonia ‘Sydney’ Renascent, spring-flowering; tall with many long laterals. Flowers large, wide
open. Perianth described as mauve-pink (Warner, 1926), lilac-mauve to magenta (Dransfield,
1925a,b), ruby magenta (Law Somner, 1927), lilac-pink (Cowlishaw, 1928), rose pink (Lucas, 1931) or
two-toned, deep mauve with a deeper mauve tube (Ormond Plant Farm, 1930). One of the Cronin
hybrids, released circa 1924 by Warner & Son and sold by Yates in the 30s; however, the name was
soon misapplied to a cultivar with ruby red flowers (Montague, 1930; Law Somner, 1933; Lothian,
1973).
Watsonia ‘Theodore Payne’ Renascent, late spring-flowering, tall. Perianth pale salmon-pink with
acute lobes and long tube. Anthers arcuate, purple. Flowers large, ascending, loosely arranged.
Released by J.H. Bullard in 1919 (Payne, 1929). From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’.
Watsonia ‘Tivoli Pink’ Derived from W. borbonica and W. meriana. Currently available in the trade
as a named variety.
Watsonia transvaalensis ‘White Mist’ acyanic white flowers (Eliovson, 1968 p.233). Not in Australia.
Watsonia ‘Tresco Dwarf Pink’ To 30 cm tall. Perianth shell pink. Grown in England (Hoyland, 2002;
RHS, 2005).
Watsonia ‘Unique’ Small plant, renascent, spring-flowering. Perianth heliotrope, each lobe with a
darker stripe. Bred in Australia and released prior to 1915 by Andersons and Brunnings (1918, p.27).
Watsonia vanderspuyiae ‘Apollo’ A selection bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in
Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia vanderspuyiae ‘Big Red’ A selection bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in
Australia (Sadawatara, 2010).
Watsonia ‘Verona’ Renascent, spring-flowering, flowers very large. Perianth soft mauve. An
American cultivar marketed in New Zealand by Harrisons around 1935, possibly in Australia too.
Watsonia ‘Vesta’ Snow white. Bred by Luther Burbank, introduced 1915 (Burbank, 1915).
Watsonia ‘Victoria’ Renascent, spring-flowering, tall. Perianth vieux rose, with long tube. Bred by
John Cronin in Melbourne and released by Ormond Plant Farm in 1930. (Robinson, 1934).
Watsonia ‘Victory’ Renascent, late spring-flowering, dwarf. Perianth coral pink with scarlet shading
and dark central stripe on each lobe, white markings in throat. Flowers medium sized, arranged
regularly. Released by J.H. Bullard in 1918 (Payne, 1929). From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’.
17
Watsonia ‘Violet Towers’ (Tesselaar 2002 p.27; Trenton Cottage, 2003) Renascent, tall. Flowers pale
violet-mauve with darker centre eye extended as midline on outer three lobes.
Watsonia ‘Volcano’ Evergreen, spring flowering. Flowers soft vivid orange (Thomson, 1968).
Watsonia ‘Watermelon Shades’ long-tubed pale magenta flowers; said to be a selection of W.
pillansii L. Bolus (Cheers, 1997). W. ‘Tivoli Pink’ is illustrated under this name by Random House
Australia (2001) p.779.
Watsonia ‘Wedding Bells’ Renascent, c. 100 cm tall. Hybrid with W. aletroides as one parent.
Available from Country Farm Perennials in 2000, later illustrated by Tesselaar (2005) p.3 who say it
is W. aletroides X W. borbonica. Soft pink, darkest at base of tube
Watsonia ‘White Australia’ Renascent, spring-flowering. Flowers large. Perianth white with very
faint pink veining; lobes undulate. Flowers were said to be semi-double or double (Anon.,1924b), or
with "some petals frilled and having a semi-double appearance" (Robinson, 1934). One of the last
hybrids produced by Cronin, first exhibited in 1925, but not released commercially until later. In 1930
the Ormond Plant Farm were selling it for 2/- a corm, twice the cost of the other Cronin Hybrids,
although corms were also offered in discounted lots of 100.
Watsonia ‘White Dazzler’ Perianth white. Grown in Britain (RHS, 2004).
Watsonia ‘White Queen’ Perianth white. Bred in Queensland and released sometime between 1926
and 1938. (earliest reference Yates Annual 1936 : 76)
Watsonia ‘White Star’ Perianth white, stellate. Flowers loosely arranged on long stems. Released
by J.H. Bullard in the 1920s (Payne, 1929). From W. angusta and W. ‘Arderne’s White’.
Watsonia ‘Woodrow Wilson’ Renascent, spring-flowering, medium height. Perianth bright scarlet,
large with acute lobes. Released by J.H. Bullard in the 1920s (Payne, 1929). From W. angusta and W.
‘Arderne’s White’.
Watsonia zeyheri ‘Rocket’ A selection bred by Gavin Schafer in South Africa, not grown in Australia
(Sadawatara, 2010).
18
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ANON. (1924a) Horticultural exhibition. The Argus (Melbourne), Saturday 1 November 1924 p.38.
ANON. (1924b) Horticultural display. The Argus (Melbourne), Thursday 6 November 1924 p.14.
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19
DRANSFIELD, E.E. (1928) The flower garden. The Northern Star (Lismore), Wednesday 21 March 1928
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