General Description:

Grevillea is a genus of around 380 species, most of which are endemic to Australia but a few species occur in Papua New Guinea and islands to Australia’s north. Further information on the botany, propagation and cultivation of grevilleas can be found in our dedicated Grevillea page.

Most grevilleas are small to medium shrubs but some are prostrate and a few can become large trees. Various species hybridise readily and numerous named cultivars are available resulting from either deliberate breeding or chance hybridization.

Grevillea robusta is a well known species which grows to a medium to tall tree to 30 metres high. The leaves are pinnate 15 to 30 cm long with 11 to 24 narrow tapered lobes. The flowers occur as horizontal racemes up to 15 cm long and are brilliant orange-yellow. Flowering occurs from spring to early summer. Plants produce spectacular massed displays particularly after a hot dry winter and spring. The flowers are an important source of food for nectar-feeding birds and fruit bats.

Grevilllea robusta has been used as a timber tree producing yellow-brown patterned wood prized for furniture-making. It is also used extensively as a street in inland Australia and as a root stock for grafted grevilleas. It can be grown for a while as a pot plant for indoor decoration.