Baby Spider-net Grevillea

Baby Spider-net Grevillea (Grevillea thelemanniana 'Baby') is a low native groundcover from Western Australia, about 50cm tall and 1.5m wide. It is covered in small, spidery brush flowers in warm red tipped with yellow from autumn to winter, when most gardens are quiet. Plant it where you can see it from the house.

Why you'll love it

• Colour in the cool months. Red and gold flowers appear from autumn through winter, lighting up the garden when little else is in bloom.
• Birds and bees visit. The brush flowers feed nectar-eating birds and bees, so the planting is busy with life while it flowers.
• A genuine groundcover. At 50cm high and 1.5m wide it forms a dense, low mat that blankets bare soil.
• Tough once settled. It is relatively hardy once established, copes with frost and dry spells, and grows in clay and loam as well as the sandy heath soils of its home.
• Easy care. A yearly feed and a light prune after flowering is all it asks.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 1m apart for a continuous cover. At that spacing the 1.5m-wide plants overlap and close over the soil, which cuts down on weeding.

Feature shrub. A single plant makes a low, wide feature at the front of a bed, in a spot that gets sun for most of the day.

Wildlife and native gardens. Set it beneath taller natives, where its flowers keep nectar available through the winter months.

Growing Baby Spider-net Grevillea in Australia

Position and climate. A warm, sunny position gives the best flowering. It comes from Western Australia, so it suits Mediterranean, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens best, and it tolerates frost once established. In humid subtropical gardens choose the sunniest, best-drained spot you have.

Soil. In the wild it grows in sandy heath that is wet in winter, but in gardens it also grows in clay and loam. Mulch well to keep the roots cool and the weeds down.

Water and feed. Water regularly until the plant is established, after which it is relatively hardy. Apply a slow-release native fertiliser each year in early spring when buds form. This species is phosphorus-sensitive, so the phosphorus in the fertiliser needs to be under 3 per cent.

Pruning. Prune lightly after flowering to promote new growth and more flowers.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Baby Spider-net Grevillea as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly. Tubes are ideal for groundcover plantings, because you can set a drift of plants at 1m spacing and let them knit together. Expect a small plant on arrival that spreads steadily once it settles into warm weather.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full grevillea range
• How to feed and prune grevilleas
• More groundcovers for your garden
• Drought tolerant plants

Common questions

How many plants do I need for a groundcover?

Plant 1m apart. That works out at roughly one plant per square metre of bed, and the plants join up as they spread to 1.5m wide.

When does it flower?

From autumn through winter, with small brush flowers in warm red tipped with yellow.

What fertiliser can I use?

Only a slow-release native fertiliser with phosphorus under 3 per cent, applied in early spring when the buds form. This species is sensitive to phosphorus.