Grevillea Bronze Rambler

Bronze Rambler (Grevillea 'Bronze Rambler') is a prostrate native groundcover that stays under 400mm tall while spreading to about 3m, so it covers ground you would rather not mow. New growth emerges bronze and deepens to dark green, and red toothbrush flowers appear over a long season. It handles drought, salt and poor soil without fuss.

Why you'll love it

• Wide cover, low profile. One plant runs to roughly 3m across but never lifts above knee height, so it covers ground without blocking a view.
• Colour twice over. Bronze new growth sits against the darker mature foliage, and the red toothbrush flowers bring honeyeaters in close.
• It suppresses weeds. The mat is dense enough to shade out most weed seedlings once it closes over, which cuts maintenance sharply.
• Very little input. Drought tolerant once established, frost hardy, and content in poor soil that would stall a more demanding shrub.
• Coastal ready. Salt tolerant, so it works on exposed foreshore blocks where lawn gives up.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 1.5m apart for a dense groundcover. At that spacing the plants knit within two seasons, and closer planting only wastes stock.

Retaining walls and slopes. Set it along the top of a wall so the stems spill over the face, or across a batter where the mat binds loose soil and cuts run off.

Rockeries and coastal gardens. The low sprawling habit suits gravel, rock and sandy coastal beds, where the salt tolerance keeps it looking well on an exposed site.

Growing Bronze Rambler in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest mat and the most flower, though it accepts part shade with looser growth. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it is frost hardy, so southern and inland districts are fine.

Soil. Drainage matters more than fertility. Poor and sandy soils are fine, but heavy clay needs a raised mound, and constantly wet ground will rot the crown.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, after which it largely looks after itself. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring: standard garden fertilisers carry too much phosphorus for grevilleas and can kill them outright.

Pruning. Tip prune lightly after each flush to keep the mat tight and the bronze growth coming. It takes a harder cut back if it grows leggy or creeps over a path.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes as tubestock, in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten, and in 200mm pots sold in packs of six. Tubes are the value option for a large bank, since groundcovers are bought in quantity and small plants establish quickly. The 140mm and 200mm sizes are already branching and close the ground a season sooner.

Plants travel flat and arrive looking compact, with the sprawl developing once they are in the ground. Expect the mat to close within two seasons. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete grevillea care guide
• Compare the full grevillea range
• Plants for retaining walls and slopes
• Browse groundcovers for low maintenance beds

Common questions

How many plants do I need?

At 1.5m spacing you need roughly four or five plants for every 10 square metres. Order to that number rather than crowding them, because each plant genuinely fills its 3m span.

Can I use ordinary fertiliser on it?

No. Grevilleas are sensitive to phosphorus, and a standard complete fertiliser can burn the roots badly enough to kill the plant. Stick to a native blend marked low phosphorus.

Will it cope with frost?

Yes. It is frost hardy, which is why it suits cool temperate and inland gardens as well as coastal ones. Young plants still appreciate mulch through their first winter.