Brown Silky Oak

Brown Silky Oak (Grevillea baileyana) is a fast growing native tree whose deep green leaves flip in the wind to show felted, rust brown undersides, changing the colour of the whole canopy as it moves. In gardens it grows to about 8m tall and 4m wide, a manageable size for screening, shade and avenue planting. Sprays of cream flowers pull in the nectar feeding birds.

Why you'll love it

• A canopy with two colours. The rust brown felt on the leaf undersides is the reason this tree gets planted. Every gust turns the crown bronze and back again.
• Cream flowers, busy birds. Flower sprays in cream and white draw honeyeaters and other nectar feeders through the flowering season.
• Quick and useful. Genuinely fast growth makes it one of the quicker native options for screens, windbreaks and driveway avenues.
• Easy care once away. Drought tolerant when established, comfortable in humidity and tough in wind, it is a low maintenance tree by any standard.

Where it works best

Screening and windbreaks. Plant 3m apart for a screen. The dense evergreen canopy makes an effective visual screen and a working windbreak on exposed sites.

Driveways and avenues. Repeated along a drive it delivers height and rhythm quickly, without decades of waiting for the effect.

Shade and feature planting. On larger blocks a single tree becomes a genuine shade tree at about 8m, with the two tone foliage doing the decorative work.

Growing Brown Silky Oak in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun suits it best. It is a tree for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate climates, happy in humidity, and it takes light frost only, so cold tableland and southern inland gardens are out.

Soil. Free draining soil of most types. It handles dry spells once established, but like most grevilleas it resents waterlogged ground, so raise the bed if drainage is doubtful.

Water and feed. Deep weekly water through the first summer, then taper off. Feed only with a low phosphorus native fertiliser. Grevilleas are sensitive to phosphorus, so keep general purpose fertilisers and fresh manures away from the root zone.

Pruning. Tip prune young trees to thicken them if you are growing a screen. Otherwise prune lightly after flowering to shape, and avoid cutting back into old bare wood.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Brown Silky Oak from 200mm pots in packs of six, through single 300mm pots, up to advanced 45L, 75L, 100L and 200L trees for instant height. Young stock establishes quickly, which is half the appeal of a fast species: a modest plant now is a real tree within a few seasons. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Orders are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full grevillea range
• More Australian native plants
• Compare windbreak trees and shrubs

Common questions

Will it really grow 25m tall?

Only in its far north Queensland rainforest home. In garden conditions expect about 8m, which is why it works as a suburban screen and shade tree.

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

3m apart in a single row. The canopies meet within a few seasons thanks to the fast growth rate.

How much frost can it take?

Light frost only, and only once established. Young trees need shelter through their first winters in marginal districts, and regular hard frosts rule it out entirely.

What should I feed it?

A controlled release native fertiliser low in phosphorus, applied in spring. Standard garden fertilisers carry enough phosphorus to damage grevilleas over time.