Intricate Grevillea

Intricate Grevillea (Grevillea intricata) is a Western Australian shrub built from a tangle of fine, thread like foliage, growing to roughly 2.5m tall and 2.5m wide. Perfumed cream spider flowers sit through the mesh of leaves and bring honeyeaters in close. It is the pick for a hot, dry, sandy garden where most flowering shrubs give up, and it asks for almost nothing once established.

Why you'll love it

• Texture nothing else offers. The intricately divided foliage reads as a soft grey green haze from a distance, which breaks up the solid blocks in a native planting.
• Perfumed cream flowers. Spider flowers open across the bush and carry a genuine scent, unusual in a plant this drought hardy.
• Honeyeaters find it fast. The nectar rich flowers are a reliable draw for small native birds.
• It thrives on poor soil. Drought, heat and poor soil tolerant, so the sandy or gravelly corner nothing else wants is exactly where it belongs.

Where it works best

Informal screening. Plant 2m apart for a loose screen. This is a soft, textural barrier rather than a clipped hedge, so accept the informality instead of fighting it with shears.

Rockeries and gravel gardens. Sharp drainage and reflected heat suit it perfectly, and the fine foliage contrasts well against stone and coarse mulch.

Feature and coastal planting. As a single specimen it earns its space on foliage alone. It also holds up in exposed coastal gardens on the drier side of the country.

Growing Intricate Grevillea in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, always. It belongs in Mediterranean, warm temperate and arid or semi-arid gardens, which covers Perth, Adelaide, inland New South Wales and much of regional Victoria. Be honest about the limit: this is a dry climate species that resents humid east coast summers, so Brisbane and coastal northern New South Wales are a genuine risk. It takes light frost only.

Soil. Sharp drainage is the whole game. Sand, gravel and decomposed granite are ideal. On clay it will fail, so build a raised mound at least 300mm high with coarse sand and gravel through it, and never let water sit around the crown.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer only, then leave it alone. Established plants need no supplementary water in most seasons. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser once in early spring, because standard fertilisers will damage the roots.

Pruning. Tip prune lightly after flowering to keep the bush compact. Do not cut back into bare old wood, since grevilleas are unreliable at reshooting from it.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes: tube stock and 140mm pots sold in packs of ten. Both are young plants, so this is a species you plant small and let establish rather than one you buy at size. That suits it, because grevilleas planted small usually outgrow and outlive larger transplanted stock.

Expect a slow first season while the root system goes down, then noticeably faster growth from the second year, with the first real flowering usually in year two or three. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete grevillea care guide
• Compare varieties in the grevillea collection.
• Find companions in rockery plants.
• Browse more drought tolerant plants.

Common questions

Will it grow on the humid east coast?

It is a risk. This is a Western Australian dry climate species, and wet humid summers combined with heavy soil cause root rot. If you want to try it in a subtropical garden, use a raised gravel bed in full sun.

Why did my grevillea suddenly die?

Almost always root rot from poor drainage, or phosphorus damage from ordinary fertiliser. Grevilleas evolved on phosphorus poor soils, so use a native blend only.

How far apart for a screen?

Two metres apart. That lets each plant reach its full 2.5m width and knit into its neighbours without crowding the bases into bare wood.