Grevillea Fireworks

Grevillea 'Fireworks' is the native shrub to plant when you want honeyeaters in the garden within a season. It makes a rounded 2m by 2m bush of fine needle foliage, covered through much of the year in spider flowers that open red and age to orange. It asks for full sun, sharp drainage and almost nothing else.

Why you'll love it

• Birds arrive quickly. The nectar rich flowers bring honeyeaters and small native birds into suburban gardens within weeks of flowering.
• Flowers over a long season. Red and orange spider flowers appear across most of the year rather than in one short burst.
• Fast and forgiving. It grows quickly, thrives in poor soil and shrugs off drought and heat once established.
• Works on the coast. Salt tolerance means it holds up on exposed seaside blocks where many natives brown off.

Where it works best

Informal screening. Plant 1.5m apart for a dense informal screen. It will not give the flat face of a clipped hedge, but it fills a boundary quickly and flowers while it does it.

Mass planting and borders. Grouped at 1.5m spacing it covers a bank or a difficult dry strip and suppresses weeds as it knits together.

Coastal and feature planting. A single plant works as a low feature near a path or driveway, where the flowers are close enough to watch the birds work.

Growing Grevillea Fireworks in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, with at least six hours a day for good flowering. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and takes light frost only, so hard frosting inland districts need a sheltered spot.

Soil. Drainage matters more than fertility. On clay, plant high on a mound with gravel worked through. Use a coarse mulch kept well clear of the stem, as a damp collar causes collapse.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first summer, then only in extended dry weather. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring, as standard fertilisers can damage grevillea roots.

Pruning. Tip prune lightly after each flush to keep it compact and flowering. Never cut back into bare old wood, because grevilleas rarely reshoot from it.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in tube, 140mm packs of ten, 200mm packs of six and 250mm packs of three. Tube and 140mm plants are the value option for a screen or a mass planting and catch up fast, while the 200mm and 250mm plants arrive already branched and often carrying bud.

Plants travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect a quiet fortnight after planting, then rapid growth once roots move into warm soil, with first flowering commonly in the first year. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Grevillea care guide
• Browse the full grevillea range
• Compare bird attracting plants
• See Australian native shrubs

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

One and a half metres apart. At that spacing the bushes touch and fill within two seasons while keeping enough airflow to avoid the fungal problems that come with crowding.

What fertiliser should I use?

A low phosphorus fertiliser formulated for native plants. Standard garden fertilisers and most manures carry enough phosphorus to burn grevillea roots and slowly kill the plant.

Can I cut it back hard?

No. Light tip pruning after each flush keeps it dense, but cutting into bare old wood usually leaves a permanent gap. Start trimming while the plant is young to hold the shape you want.

Will it handle frost?

Light frost only. It comes through the occasional cold morning without damage, but repeated heavy frosts will burn the foliage and check growth badly.