Coverall Grevillea

Coverall Grevillea (Grevillea 'Coverall') is a prostrate native groundcover for a bare, dry slope. It rises only about 40cm but spreads to around 3m across, laying a low mat of fine foliage studded with red and pink spider flowers that honeyeaters work all year.

Why you'll love it

• It covers ground fast. A quick growing spreader to roughly 3m wide, so a bank closes over in two to three seasons.
• Ankle height, never taller. At about 40cm it holds sightlines open along a driveway edge or above a retaining wall.
• Birds all year. Nectar rich flowers keep honeyeaters coming back, and the low tangled growth shelters small birds.
• Coastal and drought tough. Salt tolerant, drought tolerant and content in poor soil once its roots are down.
• Low maintenance. No staking, no shaping, one light trim a year.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 1.5m apart. That looks sparse for the first year and closes properly by the second, which beats crowding plants that then compete.

Retaining walls and slopes. Set it along the top of a wall so growth spills over the face, or across a batter where the roots help hold soil together.

Coastal gardens and rockeries. It handles salt laden wind and sharp draining sand, so it suits exposed foreshore blocks and gravel beds where lawn will not grow.

Growing Coverall Grevillea in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, with good air movement. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid to semi arid gardens, covering Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and inland districts. It takes light frost only, so in cold tableland and southern inland gardens choose a frost hardy groundcover instead.

Soil. Drainage matters more than fertility. Sandy and gravelly soils are ideal. On clay, plant into a raised mound of coarse mix at least 200mm high. Mulch lightly with gravel, kept clear of the crown.

Water and feed. Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. Feed a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring. Standard fertilisers carry too much phosphorus and can damage grevillea roots.

Pruning. Tip prune lightly after the main flowering flush to keep the mat dense. Avoid cutting into bare old wood, which reshoots slowly.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold as tube stock and in 140mm pots in packs of ten. Tubes suit a large area, since grevilleas establish quickly from a small root system and overtake bigger stock. The 140mm plants are already branching and give a season's head start.

Both sizes travel upright in trays. Plant within a week, water in well, and expect root growth before top growth. Spread accelerates from the second season. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the complete grevillea care guide for pruning, feeding and problems.
• Compare varieties in the grevillea collection.
• Browse alternatives in groundcover plants.
• See more plants for retaining walls.

Common questions

How many plants do I need?

At 1.5m spacing, roughly four to five plants cover every 10 square metres. Closer planting fills in a little sooner but wastes plants, since each one spreads to about 3m.

Can I walk on it?

No. It is a spreading shrub, not a lawn substitute, and foot traffic breaks the brittle stems. Use steppers if you need access through a planted area.

Why is it going bare in the middle?

Usually age plus no trimming. A light tip prune after each flowering flush keeps growth coming from within the mat, not only at the edges.