Tangerine Squeeze Grevillea

Tangerine Squeeze Grevillea (Grevillea bipinnatifida x pteridifolia 'Tangerine Squeeze') carries large tangerine toothbrush flowers over a long season on a low spreading shrub about 1.5m tall and 1.5m wide. The flowers sit out on the ends of the branches where honeyeaters can reach them, and where you can see them from the house. It is a hybrid, taking the flower size of one parent and the toughness of the other.

Why you'll love it

• A flowering season that keeps going. Large tangerine toothbrush flowers appear over a long stretch of the year rather than in one short burst.
• Honeyeaters find it fast. The flowers are held clear of the foliage and loaded with nectar, which is what small nectar feeding birds want.
• Low and spreading. At 1.5m by 1.5m it sits under a window, spreading sideways rather than shooting up.
• Heat and drought are no problem. Heat tolerant, drought tolerant, fast growing and content in poor soil once established.

Where it works best

Feature planting. One plant carries a native bed while everything else is between flowering. Put it where the birds working the flowers are visible from a window.

Mass planting and borders. Set plants 1.5m apart across a bank or wide bed. The canopies meet without crowding, and the low habit suits the front of a border with taller shrubs behind.

Pots and containers. This plant needs sharp drainage, and a large pot of coarse free draining mix is the most reliable way to guarantee it on a clay block.

Growing Tangerine Squeeze Grevillea in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, since shade produces a leggy plant with few flowers. It suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean, and arid and semi-arid gardens, an unusually wide range. It handles light frost only, so hard frosting inland districts, the tablelands and cold southern gardens should use a movable pot.

Soil. Sharp drainage is the one thing this plant will not compromise on, and wet feet is the most common cause of failure. On clay, build a raised mound 300mm high, blend coarse sand or gravel through it, and plant into that.

Water and feed. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then reduce hard. Overwatering an established plant does more damage than forgetting it. Feed with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring only.

Pruning. Tip prune after each flush to keep the shrub compact and bring on the next round. Always cut back to wood that still carries leaves, because grevilleas reshoot poorly from bare stems.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown in tube stock, a young single stemmed plant rather than the spreading shrub in the photographs. That is the honest trade off: tube stock is inexpensive and establishes quickly, but you are buying the start of the plant. With a fast grower like this, tubes planted in spring usually catch a larger plant within two seasons.

Expect a quiet month while the roots move, then noticeable growth, and a serious flowering display from the second year. Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full grevillea range
• Native plants that bring birds into the garden
• Drought tolerant plants for dry gardens
• Compare other Australian native shrubs

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

One and a half metres apart for mass planting, which matches its mature spread. Closer spacing crowds the plants and encourages the fungal problems that follow poor airflow in a humid summer.

Why do grevilleas die in my garden?

Almost always drainage. This hybrid needs sharp drainage and will decline in soil that stays wet after rain. Planting on a raised mound blended with coarse sand or gravel solves it in most gardens.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes, and on heavy clay a pot is often the better option. Use a large container with a coarse free draining native mix, water only once the mix has dried through, and feed once a year.