Moonlight Grevillea

Moonlight Grevillea (Grevillea 'Moonlight') carries the largest flowers of any grevillea commonly grown in Australia: creamy white toothbrush spikes up to 20cm long, produced almost continuously through the year. It grows fast to about 4m tall and 3m wide, which makes it one of the quickest native screens available. Honeyeaters treat an established plant as a permanent food source.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers nearly all year. Large cream spikes appear in waves rather than one short season, peaking through the cooler months.
• Fast privacy. It reaches screening height in two to three seasons, far quicker than most native shrubs of the same size.
• Serious bird value. The nectar load is high and the flowers are held where honeyeaters can reach them.
• Thrives on neglect. Drought tolerant, heat tolerant, salt tolerant and content in poor soil once its roots are down.
• Pale flowers that read at dusk. The cream colouring stands out in low light, which is where the name comes from.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 2m apart in a single row. Grevilleas resent crowding, and tighter spacing produces leggy plants that thin at the base rather than a denser screen.

Windbreaks. A staggered double row at 2m spacing filters wind instead of blocking it, which is what an exposed rural or coastal block actually needs.

Feature planting. As a single specimen near a window it earns its place, because the flowers and the birds they bring are the point.

Growing Moonlight Grevillea in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, without compromise: shade produces a sparse plant and few flowers. It suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi-arid gardens. It takes light frost only, so cold inland districts, the tablelands and hard frosting southern gardens are a genuine risk for it.

Soil. Drainage matters more than fertility. Poor, sandy and gravelly soils suit it well. On clay, plant high on a raised mound, because grevilleas are among the first plants to die in waterlogged ground. Mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the stem.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser sparingly in early spring, or none at all. Phosphorus rich fertilisers damage grevillea roots and are a common cause of sudden decline.

Pruning. Tip prune from the first year and trim lightly after each flowering flush. Regular light pruning is what keeps it dense; a neglected plant becomes woody and open, and it does not reshoot reliably from bare old wood.

What to expect when it arrives

Four sizes are grown: tube stock, 140mm in packs of ten, 200mm in packs of six and single 300mm plants. Given how fast this grevillea grows, tube stock is genuinely competitive: a tube planted in spring often catches a 300mm plant within two seasons. The 300mm plants are the choice when you want height in the first year.

Grevilleas dislike root disturbance, so plant without teasing the root ball. Wear gloves when pruning, since grevillea foliage irritates some people's skin. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect flowering within the first year, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Designing a native garden that attracts wildlife
• Compare varieties across the full grevillea range
• Browse more bird attracting plants
• See other plants for windbreaks

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

Two metres apart. Grevilleas need airflow and root room, and planting tighter gives you tall bare stems rather than a faster screen.

How quickly will it screen?

Fast by native shrub standards. Expect screening height in two to three seasons in a warm garden with full sun and free draining soil.

Will it survive frost?

Light frost only. It is not a plant for the tablelands, cold inland districts or hard frosting southern gardens, where a hardier native screen is the safer choice.

Why did an established plant suddenly die?

Usually either waterlogged soil or a phosphorus rich fertiliser applied nearby. Both damage grevillea roots quickly, and the plant often looks fine until it collapses.