Grevillea ‘Lollypops’

Grevillea 'Lollypops' is a low spreading Australian native that does the work of a groundcover and flowers like a shrub. It sits at about 800mm tall and spreads to 1.5m, sending up pink toothbrush flowers that honeyeaters find within days. Planted 1m apart it knits into a continuous pink flecked mat that asks almost nothing of you once established.

Why you'll love it

• Low and wide, not tall. At roughly 800mm by 1.5m it covers ground without blocking a view or a window.
• Pink toothbrush flowers. The one sided brushes sit above the foliage and carry nectar that honeyeaters and lorikeets work over.
• Genuinely dry tolerant. Once the roots are down it lives on what the sky gives it through most of the year.
• Happy in poor ground. Sandy, gravelly and thin soils suit it. Rich, heavily fed beds do not.
• Very little maintenance. One light trim after flowering is the entire annual job.

Where it works best

Mass planting and groundcover. Plant 1m apart for a low massed planting. At that spacing the plants meet in about two seasons and shade out most weed seedlings as they go.

Borders, edging and rockeries. The spreading habit tumbles over a rock edge or a low wall, which softens hard lines without constant cutting back.

Pots and containers. A pot 400mm or wider suits it, with a free draining native mix and no saucer underneath. Wet feet in a container is the usual way this plant is lost.

Growing Grevillea 'Lollypops' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, and plenty of air movement. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid to semi-arid gardens. Light frost is tolerated once established, so hard frosting inland and cold southern gardens are a stretch. In humid districts give it the most open, breeziest spot you have.

Soil. Drainage matters more than fertility. Sand, gravel and thin rocky ground are ideal, and heavy clay needs a raised mound with coarse material worked through it. Mulch lightly with gravel or coarse bark, kept off the crown.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring and nothing else. Phosphorus rich fertilisers damage grevillea roots, so keep lawn and rose feeds away from the bed.

Pruning. Tip prune young plants to push them sideways, then trim lightly straight after the main flowering. Avoid cutting back into bare wood, because grevilleas are reluctant to reshoot from it.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown as tube stock. Plants are young, a few branches on a small root ball, and that is genuinely the best way to buy a spreading grevillea: tubes establish faster than potted plants and root out into the surrounding soil rather than circling in old mix. Because it spreads to 1.5m, a small plant covers a surprising area within two seasons.

Tubes travel well and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Plant into a well drained bed, water it in, then hold back. Expect a slow first few weeks, real spread by the second summer, and first flowers in the first or second season. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete grevillea care guide for Australian gardens
• Browse the full grevillea range
• Low maintenance groundcovers to compare
• Bird attracting natives that pair well with it

Common questions

How many plants do I need per square metre?

One, at the 1m spacing we recommend. Tighter planting does not close the gap much sooner and it makes the eventual trimming harder.

Why should I avoid phosphorus?

Grevilleas evolved on old, phosphorus poor Australian soils, and their roots take up too much of it from ordinary fertilisers. That yellows the leaves and can kill the plant outright. A native blend marked low phosphorus solves it.

Does it need pruning to keep flowering?

A light trim after the main flush keeps it dense and brings on the next round of flowers. Stay in the leafy growth, because cuts into bare wood often do not reshoot.