Ned Kelly Grevillea

Ned Kelly Grevillea (Grevillea 'Ned Kelly') is the one to plant when you want an informal screen that feeds birds and asks for very little. It grows fast to about 2.5m tall and 3m wide, broader than it is high, and carries large red and orange toothbrush flowers almost all year rather than in one short burst. Also sold as Mason's Hybrid, it is found by honeyeaters within weeks of planting.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers nearly year round. The red and orange toothbrush blooms come in continuous waves, so there is almost always something on the plant.
• Honeyeater magnet. Nectar rich flowers at eye height bring wattlebirds, honeyeaters and lorikeets in reliably and quickly.
• Fast, broad cover. At 2.5m by 3m it fills a boundary gap in two to three seasons, quicker than most natives of the same size.
• Tough where it counts. Drought tolerant, heat tolerant and salt tolerant, so exposed coastal blocks and hot inland gardens both suit it.

Where it works best

Informal screening and privacy. Plant 1.5m apart for a dense informal screen. At about 2.5m this is boundary height rather than upper storey screening, and the spreading habit fills sideways fast.

Mass planting and slopes. The wide low branching habit suits retaining walls and embankments, where it spills forward and holds soil. In a mass planting, 1.5m centres give continuous cover.

Coastal gardens and feature planting. Salt tolerance suits it to front line coastal beds, and as a single specimen it works best seen from below.

Growing Ned Kelly grevillea in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the heaviest flowering; part shade thins both flowers and habit. It suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi-arid gardens. It takes light frost only, so the tablelands, alpine districts and hard frosting southern gardens want a warm sheltered wall or a frost hardy grevillea instead.

Soil. Drainage matters more than fertility. Sandy, gravelly and stony soils are ideal. On clay, plant high on a raised mound so the crown never sits wet, since root rot is the most common cause of a sudden grevillea collapse.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first summer, then taper off. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser only, since standard garden products carry enough phosphorus to damage the roots.

Pruning. Tip prune from planting to build density. After the main flush, cut back by up to a third; it responds well and stays furnished low down. Avoid cutting hard into thick bare wood.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in three sizes: tube, 140mm in a pack of 10 and 200mm in a pack of 6. Tubes and 140mm plants are young and single stemmed, and they suit a long boundary or a mass planting, since grevilleas establish quickly from small stock. The 200mm plants arrive already branching.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect a quiet few weeks while roots move out, then rapid growth in warm weather, with first flowers usually inside the first year. 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
• Browse other bird attracting plants
• Plants that suit retaining walls and slopes

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

One and a half metres apart in a single row. Because it spreads to about 3m, that spacing lets plants meet and overlap slightly without the inner branches shading out and dying back.

Can I keep it smaller than 2.5m?

Yes. Trimming after each main flush holds it comfortably at 1.5m to 2m and keeps the base dense. Accept that harder pruning removes flower buds along with the growth.

What fertiliser should I use?

A slow release native fertiliser low in phosphorus, applied once in early spring. Avoid general purpose fertilisers, poultry manure and mushroom compost, all of which carry phosphorus this plant cannot handle.