Silvereye Cream Grevillea

Silvereye Cream Grevillea (Grevillea 'Silvereye Cream') is a large fast growing native shrub that screens a boundary and feeds birds. It reaches about 4m tall and 3m wide, carrying big cream toothbrush flowers over grey green foliage for much of the year. Bred from 'Misty Pink' crossed with 'Honey Gem', it has the vigour of the large tropical grevilleas.

Why you'll love it

• A screen that flowers. Fast growing to 4m, so a row closes in quicker than most native shrubs.
• Honeyeaters arrive. The nectar rich flowers pull in native birds for much of the year.
• Tough where it counts. Drought and heat tolerant, and happy in poor soil, so a hot western fence line suits it.
• Very little upkeep. Low maintenance beyond an annual trim.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 2m apart in a single row. That spacing lets each plant build its full width, and the canopies knit within two to three seasons.

Mass planting. A drift of five or more at 2m centres covers ground too poor or too dry for a lawn.

Feature planting. Given room, a single plant shapes into a broad open shrub. Underplant low so the base stays furnished as it lifts with age.

Growing Silvereye Cream Grevillea in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, the more the better for flowering and density. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, and handles light frost only, so cold inland districts, the tablelands and hard frosting southern gardens are not for it.

Soil. Sharp drainage is not negotiable. Poor, sandy and gravelly soils are ideal. On clay, build a mound at least 300mm high and plant into that rather than a hole that holds water.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser and nothing else: lawn, rose and citrus fertilisers hold enough phosphorus to kill a grevillea outright.

Pruning. Tip prune from the day it goes in and trim lightly after each flowering flush. Regular light pruning prevents the bare woody legs that neglected grevilleas develop.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tube stock and in 200mm pots sold in packs of six. Tubes are the economical choice for a long boundary, since a tube often catches a larger plant within two seasons. The 200mm packs give a season's head start.

Expect new growth within four to six weeks in warm weather and first flowers in the second year. Plants 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

• The complete grevillea care guide
• Compare the full grevillea range
• Screening plants from 2m to 4m
• Browse bird attracting plants

Common questions

How far apart for a screen?

Two metres apart. Closer planting does not close the screen any sooner and leads to plants shading each other out at the base.

What fertiliser can I use?

A low phosphorus native fertiliser only, applied lightly in early spring. Phosphorus rich fertilisers, manures and lawn feeds are the most common cause of a sudden grevillea death.

Will it grow in Melbourne or Canberra?

It tolerates light frost only, so hard frosting gardens are a real risk. It is at its best in coastal Queensland, northern New South Wales and mild coastal districts further south.

How do I stop it going leggy?

Prune little and often, taking no more than the last season's growth after each flush.