Murray Valley Queen Grevillea

Murray Valley Queen Grevillea (Grevillea 'Murray Valley Queen') is the flowering native for gardens that run hot and dry. It settles at about 2m tall and 2m wide, and carries apricot toned orange and yellow flowers on the outside of the bush where honeyeaters can reach them. Give it full sun and drainage that actually drains, and it feeds birds for most of the year on very little water.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers birds actually use. The blooms sit clear of the foliage, so honeyeaters and wattlebirds work them in the open.
• A sensible 2m by 2m. Big enough to screen a fence line at eye level, small enough that it never crowds a courtyard.
• Real drought and heat tolerance. Once established it handles hot inland summers and long dry spells, which is why it suits arid and semi-arid gardens.
• It does not need good soil. Poor, gravelly and sandy ground is fine. What it will not accept is soil that stays wet.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1.5m apart for a screening row. The bushes knit into a soft informal barrier about 2m high, enough to break a sightline over a low fence without casting heavy shade.

Mass planting. On a bank or a dry verge the same spacing gives continuous cover and holds soil where irrigation is impractical.

Feature planting and small gardens. One plant near a path earns its place when the birds arrive, and it will not outgrow a small garden.

Growing Murray Valley Queen Grevillea in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun with air movement around the plant. This is an inland hybrid, at home in subtropical, warm temperate, arid, semi-arid and Mediterranean gardens. It dislikes humid coastal summers, so a wet tropical block wants a different native. Light frost only, so cold southern gardens need a sheltered aspect.

Soil. Sharp drainage matters more than fertility. On heavy clay, plant on a mound 200mm to 300mm high and open the bed with coarse sand or gravel. Mulch with gravel or coarse bark, clear of the stem.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first summer, then water only in long dry spells. Feed with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring, because standard garden fertilisers will yellow the foliage.

Pruning. Tip prune from planting to build a dense frame, then cut back by about a third after the main flush. Do not cut into bare old wood, because grevilleas reshoot from it reluctantly.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown in tube stock only. Tubes are young single stemmed plants, well under knee height, and they are the right way to buy a grevillea: small root systems settle into dry ground far more readily than a pot bound advanced plant. Expect first flowers in the second year and close to mature size by year three or four.

Tubes travel well because there is little top growth to knock about. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete grevillea care guide
• Browse the full grevillea range
• Compare other Australian native shrubs
• Top bird attracting native plants to grow alongside it

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

Space plants 1.5m apart in a single row. The canopies meet within two to three seasons, and the result is a soft informal screen rather than a clipped hedge.

Why are the leaves turning yellow?

Nine times out of ten it is phosphorus. Grevilleas evolved on phosphorus poor soils, so a standard lawn or rose fertiliser burns the roots. Use a low phosphorus native product in early spring.

Will it survive frost?

Light frost only, and young plants are the vulnerable ones. In a district that frosts regularly, give it a north facing wall for its first two winters. In a hard frost pocket it is the wrong plant.