Plant Library

Description:

An adaptable species that will assume an upright, airy, arching form; grows well in most well drained soils; interesting rose-red spidery flowers cover the branches in late winter and spring; fine, needle-like foliage may be sharp at the ends

Ornamental Features

Canberra Gem Grevillea features delicate red spider-like flowers along the branches from late winter to early summer. It has attractive green evergreen foliage which emerges chartreuse in spring. The spiny needles are highly ornamental and remain green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Canberra Gem Grevillea is an open multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a shapely form and gracefully arching branches. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting birds and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spiny

Canberra Gem Grevillea is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Canberra Gem Grevillea will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.