Variations
Cooack Form
This erect suckering shrub grows to 2.5m (8ft) tall with an open habit. It produces bright red to orange flowers and leaves with revolute margins. It is suitable for arid conditions and is becoming rare as its habitat is destroyed for farming.
Deep-lobed Form
This scrambling shrub is found at higher altitudes in mountains and produces dark green leaves with deep serrations that are pungent. The flowers are dark red and the plant is suitable for rockeries.
Fyans Valley Form
This upright shrub with arching branches to 4m (12ft) tall occurs in wet shaded positions and produces leaves with shallow serrations that are sharply pointed. The prominent flowers are bright red.
Halls Gap Form
This rounded shrub grows to 2m (6ft) wide and tall and has leaves that have shallow teeth that are armed with a sharp point. The flowers produce a bright red style.
Little Desert Suckering Form
This suckering shrub to 1m (3ft) produces leaves that have revolute margins and give the appearance of tubular leaves. The flowers are bright red and the plant is suitable for arid conditions.
Mt Zero Form
This upright shrub to 2m (6ft) tall produces large leaves and prominent red flowers.
Portland Form
There are many forms in southwest Victoria that produce shallow toothed leaves and flowers that are cream-green to pale red. They occur in swampy regions on acidic sandy wet soils.
Serra Rd Form
This variable plant is prostrate to mound forming up to 1m (3ft) tall. The prostrate type is up to 2m (6ft) wide and forms a dense cover with shallow serrated leaves and dull red flowers. It is an excellent ground cover but requires moist soils and summering watering.
South Australian Form
These variable plants are prostrate to upright attaining a hight of 1.5m (5ft) tall growing on alkaline soils or around limestone outcrops. The leaves are shallowed toothed or entire and the flowers appear profusely in colours that range from pink to red, green and yellow.
Stawell Form
This shrub produces grey-green leaves that have a woolly appearance and the flowers may change colour from yellow to orange-red when mature.