Grevillea Apricot Tingle

Grevillea 'Apricot Tingle' (Grevillea 'Apricot Tingle') carries apricot and pink toothbrush flowers for most of the year, and honeyeaters usually find it within days of planting. It grows quickly to about 2.5m tall and 2.5m wide, which is enough to soften a fence line or fill a dry corner in two or three seasons. For a hot, sunny, poor soil position it is one of the easiest native shrubs to get right.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers almost all year. The apricot and pink toothbrush blooms come in waves rather than one short burst.
• Birds arrive fast. The nectar brings honeyeaters and native bees into the garden without any other effort from you.
• Thrives on neglect. Once established it wants no irrigation and no rich soil.
• Quick informal screen. Fast growth and a broad habit close a row over a low fence within a few seasons.
• Handles coastal exposure. Salt laden wind does not burn the foliage the way it burns softer shrubs.

Where it works best

Informal screening. Plant 1.5m apart in a single row for a loose flowering screen. Tighter spacing crowds the bases and encourages dieback where air movement is poor.

Mass planting and dry banks. Grouped at 1.5m spacing it covers ground that irrigation never reaches, including gravelly slopes and road verges.

Coastal and native gardens. Use it as the front line of a mixed native planting, where the flowers do the work of drawing birds through the whole garden.

Growing Grevillea 'Apricot Tingle' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun all day, with open air movement around the plant. Warm temperate, subtropical, Mediterranean and arid gardens suit it. It takes light frost only, so hard frosting tablelands and cold inland districts are a stretch and a warm sheltered wall helps.

Soil. Sharp drainage matters far more than fertility. On heavy clay, plant high on a raised mound with coarse gravelly material worked through the bed, and mulch with a coarse material kept clear of the stem.

Water and feed. Water deeply once a week through the first summer, then step back to almost nothing. Use a native or low phosphorus fertiliser only, because ordinary garden fertiliser carries enough phosphorus to damage grevillea roots.

Pruning. Tip prune lightly after each flush to keep the shrub compact and flowering. Never cut back into bare leafless wood, as it does not reliably reshoot from old stems.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tube stock and in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten. Both are young plants, which is the right way to buy a grevillea: small stock roots out faster and more evenly than advanced plants, and a pack of ten covers a long boundary at modest cost.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Expect a slow first month, then rapid growth through the first warm season and the first serious flowering in year two. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Grevillea care, pruning and feeding
• Browse the full grevillea range
• More bird attracting plants
• Drought tolerant plants for dry gardens

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

One and a half metres apart in a single row. That gives each plant room to reach its full 2.5m width, so the screen fills without the lower branches shading each other out.

Why can't I use normal fertiliser?

Grevilleas evolved on phosphorus poor Australian soils and cannot regulate their uptake of it. A standard garden fertiliser can burn the roots, so use a native blend or nothing at all.

How fast does it grow?

Fast for a native shrub, with most plants reaching close to full size in three to four years in a sunny, well drained position. Growth slows noticeably in shade or in wet, heavy ground.

Will it cope with frost?

Light frost only. It shrugs off the odd cold morning once established, but repeated heavy frosts damage the soft growth and the flower buds.