Billy Bonkers Grevillea

Billy Bonkers Grevillea (Grevillea 'Billy Bonkers') is a wide, layered, arching shrub about 1m tall and 1.5m to 3m wide, flowering in hot pink-red toothbrush heads for most of the year. It is a grafted plant, so it grows in a wider range of soils than most grevilleas. Give it room, because it is roughly three times as wide as it is tall.

Why you'll love it

• Nearly year-round flowers. Hot pink-red blooms, somewhere between magenta and scarlet, appear through most of the year.
• A layered, arching shape. Regular pruning can shape it toward an umbrella outline that shows off the arching branches.
• Grafted for adaptability. Joined to a robust rootstock, it grows in a wider range of soil types.
• Tough once established. It tolerates dry periods and frost once settled.
• Fine, feathery foliage. When the flowers pause, long fine leaves keep the plant attractive.

Where it works best

Feature planting. Use a single plant as a specimen where it has room to spread. Allow 2m to 3m of clear space around it.

Mixed borders and banks. Plant 2m apart in a bed. The wide, layered shrubs fill the space and cover the ground between taller plants.

Wildlife gardens. Nectar-rich flowers over most of the year give birds and bees a reliable feed.

Growing Billy Bonkers Grevillea in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for maximum flowering. It tolerates dry periods and frost once established, which suits warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it also grows well in the subtropics.

Soil. Free-draining soil. Because the plant is grafted, it adapts to a wider range of soils than most grevilleas.

Water and feed. Water regularly for the first 8 to 12 weeks, until the plant is established. Feed with a slow release native fertiliser when buds form, and choose one with phosphorus under 3 per cent, because grevilleas can be sensitive to phosphorus.

Pruning. Prune after flowering to promote flowering, a dense habit and to control growth. Regular pruning can also shape the plant toward an umbrella outline. Remove any leaves that appear below the graft point.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Billy Bonkers Grevillea as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly, and in 200mm pots in packs of 6. This is a grafted plant, and a tape secures the graft point. The tape is biodegradable and should dissolve by the time the graft has healed. Plant it with the graft point above the soil, water it in and keep mulch away from the stem.

Our grower supplies the tube stock, and supply is not constant. If the tube shows as sold out, the grower has none at that moment, and the notify button on this page emails you the day it returns.

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 our grevilleas
• Plants that attract birds
• Native bee plants
• Grevillea care guide

Common questions

How much room does it need?

It grows about 1m tall and 1.5m to 3m wide, so allow at least 2m between plants and clear space around a feature plant.

Can I shape it?

Yes. Prune after flowering to keep it dense and control its size. Regular pruning also shapes it toward an umbrella outline that shows off its arching habit.

What does grafted mean?

The top of the plant is joined to a more robust or adaptable rootstock, which lets it grow in a wider range of soil types.