Plants down under - Grevillea

Name – This wonderful plant variety was named after Charles Francis Greville who was born in 1749 and was one of the founders of the Horticultural Society, now the Royal Horticultural Society. Common names for the plant include Grevillea, Spider Flower, Silky-oak and Toothbrush.

Description – Noted for their cylindrical flower spikes which can be up to seven inches long and range in colour from a creamy white through yellow and peach to pinks, reds and burgundies, many cultivars of the original species now have bi-coloured flowers.

Origin – Grevillea flowers were a traditional favourite among Aborigines for their sweet nectar which was either shaken out onto the palm of the hand or mixed with a little water to make a sweet drink which was highly desired by children; one of the native names for the grevillea roughly translates as ‘bush lollies’. Virtually all species and cultivars perform best in well-drained soils and flower best in open, sunny positions but the east and west coast varieties are very different so before purchasing, check where your grevillea originates as those species native to Western Australia are prone to failure after a few years areas of high summer humidity and rainfall. All grevilleas prefer acidic soils and most respond well to regular, annual pruning where about one-third of the plant is removed to promote branching – often plants will need to be cut back severely if they develop a ‘straggly’ shape which they are prone to, but others will not tolerate this treatment - if in doubt, always leave some green foliage on the plant and it will come back to life the following year!

For Decoration – often used dried, where some of the colour is lost, but the structural shape is valuable in displays.

Australian grevilla photograph by nellring, used under a creative commons attribution licence

 

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