Superb Grevillea

Superb Grevillea (Grevillea 'Superb', a cross between G. bipinnatifida and G. banksii) flowers almost every week of the year. The blooms are large apricot orange racemes held clear of finely divided foliage, on a spreading shrub of about 1.5m tall and 1.8m wide. If you want one plant that keeps honeyeaters in the garden through every season, this is the shortlist.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers nearly year round. Not a spring burst and then nothing. It carries apricot orange blooms almost continuously, with only brief gaps between flushes.
• A honeyeater magnet. The nectar load is heavy and the flower shape suits small birds, so it brings wildlife in rather than just decorating.
• It handles the hard sites. Drought, heat and salt tolerant, and content in poor soil. Hot driveway strips and exposed coastal blocks are where it earns its place.
• Wider than it is tall. At 1.5m by 1.8m it fills horizontal space, useful for covering ground under a window line without blocking a view.
• Low maintenance in practice. No spraying, minimal feeding, one tidy up a year.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 1.5m apart for a massed display. At that spacing the shrubs knit into a continuous flowering bank within two seasons while keeping enough airflow to stay healthy.

Borders and coastal gardens. Its spreading habit suits the front of a native bed or a driveway run, where it stays below sight lines, and it holds up on exposed blocks where flowering shrubs usually burn at the tips.

Pots and feature planting. A single plant in a wide container works on a hot balcony, provided the mix is free draining and low in phosphorus.

Growing Superb Grevillea in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, without compromise, because shade produces a leggy shrub and very little flower. It suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi arid gardens, and it takes light frost only. Cold inland and hard frosting southern gardens want a frost hardy grevillea instead.

Soil. Drainage is the whole game. It thrives in poor, sandy and gravelly ground and dies in heavy wet clay. If your soil holds water, build a raised mound or rockery pocket and plant into that.

Water and feed. Water deeply through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. Feed with a low phosphorus native fertiliser and nothing else: grevilleas are sensitive to phosphorus, and a standard lawn fertiliser can kill an established plant outright.

Pruning. Tip prune lightly after a heavy flush to keep the shrub compact. Avoid cutting into bare old wood, which it does not reliably reshoot from. Wear gloves, because the foliage irritates some people's skin.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in three sizes. Tubes are young single stemmed plants and the economical choice for a large bank or a native garden planted from scratch. The 140mm pack of ten and 200mm pack of six are sized for mass planting, with the 200mm plants quicker to make an impact.

Young grevilleas often arrive sparse and open, which is normal for the habit rather than poor health, and they bush out quickly once the roots move. Expect flowers in the first year. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare the full grevillea range
• Native plants that bring birds into the garden
• Browse bird attracting plants
• Explore the Australian native collection

Common questions

What fertiliser should I use?

A low phosphorus native fertiliser, applied sparingly in early spring. Ordinary complete or lawn fertilisers contain enough phosphorus to damage or kill grevilleas, so check the label rather than guessing.

How far apart for a mass planting?

1.5m apart. Each shrub spreads to around 1.8m, so that spacing lets them meet and merge without crowding into each other and losing airflow through the centre.

Why has an established plant suddenly died?

The two usual causes are poor drainage and phosphorus. Grevilleas will not sit in wet soil, and a well meant application of general fertiliser can finish one within weeks. Both are avoidable.