Grevillea Sea Spray

Grevillea 'Sea Spray' (Grevillea 'Sea Spray') is a prostrate native groundcover built for the hardest parts of a garden. It stays around 50cm high but spreads to 2.5m, so a handful of plants cover a slope, a rockery or a hot dry verge that nothing else will hold. Pink and red toothbrush flowers appear through much of the year, and honeyeaters find them quickly.

Why you'll love it

• Wide cover, low height. One plant spreads to about 2.5m while staying ankle to knee high, so you get ground cover without losing a view or a sightline.
• Made for coastal and exposed sites. Salt, wind, poor soil and drought are all handled, which is exactly the list that defeats most groundcovers.
• Birds year round. The nectar rich flowers bring honeyeaters and small native birds into the garden through most of the year.
• Suppresses weeds as it fills. Fast growth and dense low branching shade the soil, so weeding drops off sharply from the second season.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 1.5m apart. At that spacing plants knit into continuous cover within about two seasons without piling up on each other.

Retaining walls and slopes. Set along the top of a wall it cascades over the face and softens the edge, and on a bank the spreading habit helps hold soil.

Coastal gardens and rockeries. A front line planting on an exposed block, or draped between rocks where the drainage is sharp and the reflected heat is high.

Growing Grevillea Sea Spray in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi-arid gardens. It takes light frost only, so cold inland and southern tableland gardens are outside its range.

Soil. Free draining and lean is what it wants. It performs in sandy and poor soils, and on clay it needs a raised mound to keep the crown dry.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in prolonged dry weather. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring, because standard fertilisers can damage grevillea roots.

Pruning. Tip prune lightly after each flush to keep the centre furnished. Avoid cutting back into thick bare wood, since it reshoots slowly from old stems.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tube stock, 140mm plants in packs of 10 and 200mm plants in packs of 6. Tubes are the sensible choice for a large bank or verge, where you need numbers and can wait a season for the plants to run. The 200mm plants are already branching sideways and cover ground faster.

Plants travel well, though some leaf bronzing after transit is normal and grows out. Expect little visible spread for the first month, then rapid lateral growth once the roots take. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The full grevillea care guide
• Browse the whole grevillea range
• Plants that spill over retaining walls
• Salt tolerant plants for coastal blocks

Common questions

How many plants do I need to cover an area?

At 1.5m spacing you need roughly four plants for every 10 square metres. That closes into full cover in about two seasons, which is why the packs of 6 and 10 suit most bank plantings.

Can I use normal fertiliser on it?

No. Grevilleas are sensitive to phosphorus and standard garden fertilisers can burn the roots. Use a native blend labelled low phosphorus, applied lightly in early spring.

How do I keep it from getting bare in the middle?

Tip prune after each flowering flush rather than waiting for it to sprawl. Regular light trimming keeps growth branching close to the crown, and it recovers poorly if you cut into thick old wood.