Royal Mantle Grevillea

Royal Mantle Grevillea (Grevillea 'Royal Mantle') is a flat, fast native groundcover that stays under 0.5m tall and can spread to 6m across. Wine-red brush flowers appear for most of the year, heaviest from late winter into spring, over bronze-red new foliage. It is the grevillea to reach for when a bank, a slope or a bare patch needs covering.

Why you'll love it

• Covers ground quickly. Fast growing and very flat, it knits into a dense mat that shades out weeds beneath it.
• Flowers most of the year. Wine-red brush flowers open through most of the year, with the heaviest display in late winter and spring.
• Tough in frost and dry spells. It is frost hardy to about -6C and needs little water once established.
• Holds slopes together. The spreading stems cover banks and embankments, which makes it a sound choice for erosion control.
• Good for wildlife. The flowers feed nectar-eating birds and insects, so a mat of it works as a food source as well as a cover.

Where it works best

Slopes and banks. Plant 1.5m apart across the face of the slope and let the stems trail downhill. They bind the surface and cover bare soil quickly.

Under trees and larger shrubs. Royal Mantle grows happily beneath bigger plants as a living groundcover, with a bronze-red flush of new leaves at their feet.

Rockeries and retaining walls. Set plants along the top of a wall and the stems cascade over the edge. At under 0.5m high it never blocks a view.

How many plants you need. Each plant can reach 6m wide eventually, so you need fewer than you might expect. Plant 1.5m apart for quick cover, or 3m apart if you can wait.

Growing Royal Mantle Grevillea in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with the heaviest flowering in sun. It is frost hardy to about -6C, which opens it up to cool temperate gardens as well as subtropical, warm temperate and Mediterranean ones.

Soil. Well drained clay loam or sandy soil, neutral to acid. One parent, Grevillea willisii, comes from rocky, stony ground in the Victorian highlands, so drainage matters far more than richness.

Water and feed. Water through the first 8 to 12 weeks until established, then it needs little. Feed with a slow release native fertiliser when buds form, and keep the phosphorus under 3 per cent because grevilleas are sensitive to it.

Pruning. Clip it back to keep it in check, especially where it creeps toward paths or neighbouring plants. It takes trimming well.

What to expect when it arrives

Royal Mantle Grevillea is sold as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly. Tubes suit a groundcover well, because each plant spreads so far that you need fewer than you might think. Expect a small plant on arrival that starts to spread once it has settled in warm weather.

Tube stock comes from our grower and is not always available. When the grower has none, the tube shows as sold out, and the notify button on the page emails you the day it is back.

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 all our grevilleas
• The grevillea care guide, including the phosphorus rule
• More groundcover plants
• Plants for retaining walls and banks

Common questions

How far apart should I plant Royal Mantle?

Plant 1.5m apart for quick, continuous cover. Each plant can reach 6m wide in time, so spacing of 3m works if you are happy to wait for the gaps to fill.

Will it grow tall?

No. It grows very flat, under 0.5m high, and spreads sideways rather than upward.

Can it handle frost?

Yes. Royal Mantle is frost hardy to about -6C, so it suits cold gardens as well as warm ones, as long as the soil drains well.