Grevillea ‘Bush Lemons’ Grafted

Grevillea 'Bush Lemons' is a grafted Grevillea grown for lemon toned yellow and green flowers that honeyeaters work from one end of the season to the other. It makes a rounded shrub of about 2m tall and 2m wide, evergreen and low fuss. Being grafted matters here: the rootstock handles heavier and more alkaline soils than a grevillea on its own roots, which puts this one within reach of gardens where grevilleas usually sulk.

Why you'll love it

• Honeyeaters arrive and stay. The flowers hold nectar for long periods, so this is a plant that changes which birds visit your garden.
• Grafted for difficult soil. The hardy rootstock copes with clay and alkaline ground that would rot an own-roots grevillea.
• An Australian native that earns its space. At 2m by 2m it screens, softens a fence or stands alone without dominating a small yard.
• Dry, poor and salty are all fine. Drought tolerant, happy in lean soil and salt tolerant enough for a coastal block.
• Very little maintenance. One trim after the main flush and a low phosphorus feed once a year is the whole routine.

Where it works best

Informal screening. Plant 1.5m apart for a soft screen along a boundary. It will not give you a clipped formal hedge, but at that spacing it closes into a continuous bird friendly barrier.

Coastal gardens. Salt wind and sandy soil suit it, so it works in front gardens and exposed positions where more precious shrubs burn off.

Feature planting in a small garden. One plant near a window or a path puts the flowers and the birds where you can watch them.

Growing Grevillea 'Bush Lemons' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun and open air movement. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens. It takes light frost only, so hard frosting inland districts and cold southern gardens are outside its comfortable range.

Soil. The graft widens what it will accept, including clay and alkaline soils, but drainage still helps. Plant with the graft union well above the soil, mound the bed if water sits, and mulch 75mm deep with a gap around the stem.

Water and feed. Deep water weekly through the first summer, then only in prolonged dry weather. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring. Standard garden fertiliser will damage the roots.

Pruning. Tip prune after each flush to keep it dense, never cutting back into bare old wood. Rub off any shoots that appear below the graft union, because rootstock growth will overtake the cultivar if left alone.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes as single tubes or 140mm pots in packs of ten. Tubes are young and grafted low, and they need the graft union kept above soil level when you plant. The 140mm packs are the buy for a screen, enough for about 15m of screen at 1.5m spacing.

Grafted plants often carry a visible union near the base and a small stake. Both are normal. Expect little visible growth in the first two months while the roots move, then a strong push in the first warm season. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, with our 30 day healthy plant guarantee on every plant.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full grevillea range
• Native plants that bring birds into the garden
• Salt tolerant plants for coastal gardens
• More nectar rich plants for honeyeaters

Common questions

Does it produce lemons?

No. The name refers to the lemon toned flowers. This is a grevillea, and it carries nectar rich blooms rather than any kind of fruit.

Why buy a grafted grevillea?

Grafting puts the cultivar on a rootstock that tolerates heavier, wetter and more alkaline soils. If your garden has clay or you have lost a grevillea to root rot before, the grafted plant is the better bet.

What fertiliser should I use?

A low phosphorus native fertiliser, once in early spring. Grevilleas are sensitive to phosphorus, and a standard complete fertiliser can yellow the foliage or kill the plant outright.