New plant varieties in Eden's Australia exhibition

Five plant varieties from Australia have been put on display in Cornwall.

The Eden Project has added the new cultivars of kangaroo paw to its collection.

The plants were bred at the Western Australian Botanic Garden, at Kings Park, in Perth and grown in the Eden Project's nursery.

They have been added to the Western Australia exhibit in the Mediterranean Biome which has more than 20 different cultivars of kangaroo paw.

Catherine Cutler, the Eden Project's head of horticulture, said the masquerade variety features iridescent teal-blue flowers which were an uncommon colour in horticulture and were "highly sought".

The other new varieties are Aussie spirit with its green-yellow colour combination, the crimson pink bush crystal, the bright yellow bush zest and carnivale which has purple and pink flowers.

Ms Cutler said the new additions offered the opportunity "to see these wonderful cultivars for the first time in the UK" and "help us tell the story of how important biodiversity is in Western Australia".

Kangaroo paw, named due to its paw-like flower head, is endemic to Western Australia and the red and green species, Anigozanthos manglesii, is the official floral emblem of the state.

The plant produces a large amount of nectar which attracts a variety of pollinators and makes it an essential part of Western Australia's ecosystem, Ms Cutler added.

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