Grevillea Scarlet Moon

Grevillea Scarlet Moon (Grevillea 'Scarlet Moon') is a compact red flowering native that earns its place by feeding birds. It makes a rounded shrub around 1.5m tall and 1.5m wide, small enough for a suburban front garden but substantial enough to hold a corner on its own. Red flowers appear over a long season, heaviest through the cooler months, and honeyeaters find them within days of planting.

Why you'll love it

• Birds arrive quickly. Nectar rich red flowers bring honeyeaters and other small birds into the garden through the quieter months.
• Flowers when little else does. The main display runs through autumn and winter, filling the gap between the summer and spring shows.
• Neat and predictable. A rounded 1.5m by 1.5m habit means one plant works in a small garden without constant cutting back.
• Very hard to kill. Drought tolerant, frost hardy, salt tolerant and content in poor soil, which covers most difficult spots in an Australian garden.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 1m apart for a dense low block of colour. At that spacing the shrubs knit together in about two seasons and shade out most weeds beneath them.

Feature planting and small gardens. One plant near a window or path gives you a front row seat for the birds, and the compact size suits a courtyard or a narrow front bed.

Borders, pots and coastal blocks. Use it as a mid height border shrub, or grow it in a pot 400mm or wider on a balcony. Salt tolerance also makes it a sound choice for exposed coastal gardens.

Growing Grevillea Scarlet Moon in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the heaviest flowering; part shade is tolerated but the plant opens up and flowers less. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and is frost hardy once established.

Soil. Drainage is the one thing that matters. Sandy, gravelly and poor soils are ideal, while heavy wet clay causes root rot, so plant on a raised mound if your ground holds water. Mulch 50mm deep and keep it off the stem.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser once in early spring, if at all. Standard garden fertilisers contain too much phosphorus for grevilleas and will damage the roots.

Pruning. Tip prune after each flowering flush, taking about a third off the new growth. This keeps the shrub dense and prevents the woody, open middle that neglected grevilleas develop. Avoid cutting into bare old wood, which is slow to reshoot.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes: a single tube, or a pack of ten 140mm plants. Tube stock is young and inexpensive, and catches up quickly because grevilleas establish fast in the ground. The 140mm pack suits a mass planting or border run, arriving as bushier plants.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Water in well and keep the soil damp, not wet, for the first six weeks. Expect flowers in the first year from 140mm stock and the second from tubes. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the full grevillea care guide.
• Compare the wider grevillea range.
• Browse more native plants with red flowers.
• See other bird attracting plants to plant alongside it.

Common questions

How many do I need for a garden bed?

At 1m spacing allow one plant per square metre. For a looser planting where each shrub keeps its own shape, stretch that to 1.5m and accept a longer wait for cover.

Why is my grevillea going yellow?

Usually phosphorus or wet feet. Check that you have used a native specific fertiliser, and dig down to see whether the soil stays soggy after rain.

Can I keep it smaller than 1.5m?

Yes. Regular tip pruning after each flush will hold it around 1m without spoiling the display, because flowers form on new growth.