Grevillea (Firewheel, Silky Oak, or Spider Flower)
Grevillea species and hybrids PROTEACEAE
Planting and Growing Grevillea Trees
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow grevillea trees in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, and seeds of grevillea trees
- Growing conditions for grevillea (firewheel, silky oak, or spider flower)
- When to plant grevillea (firewheel, silky oak, or spider flower)
- How to plant grevillea (firewheel, silky oak, or spider flower)
- How to prune grevillea (firewheel, silky oak, or spider flower)
- Watering, fertilizing, and care of grevillea (firewheel, silky oak, or spider flower)
- Landscape uses of grevillea (firewheel, silky oak, or spider flower)
- Pest and disease control for grevillea (firewheel, silky oak, or spider flower)
Growing Grevillea Trees
More than 250 species of medium-growing, mostly upright, highly varied, brittle, evergreen shrubs and trees, 6–150 ft. (1.8–45 m) tall, with alternate or opposite, bronze becoming deep green, cedar- and needlelike, textured, often scaly, deeply lobed and cut leaves, 1–10 in. (25–254 mm) long.
Grevillea, or sugarbushes, of the Protea genus are native to to the east-coastal regions of southern Queensland and northern New South Wales in Australia. Cultivated species include holly grevillea, Grevillea aquafolium; Australian silky oak, Grevillea robusta; spider-net grevillea, Grevillea thelemanniana; and Wilson’s grevillea, Grevillea wilsonii.
Grevillea Planting and Care Guide
Flowers and Seeds
Showy, fragrant, tuftlike, cream, red, white, yellow flowers, 1–6 in. (25–150 mm) long, as hairy clusters at leaf stem junctions, in autumn–spring, form dry, feathery seed in spring–summer.
Best Climates
U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zones 8–11. Tender.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained humus. Fertility: Rich. 5.5–7.0 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Full sun to partial shade. Space as recommended for species.Planting: Full sun. Space 15–20 ft. (4.5–6 m) apart.
Proper Care
Moderate. Keep moist; reduce watering in summer. Fertilize with 10–0–5 fertilizer. Protect from frost. Propagate by seed.
About This Species
Good choice for accents, backgrounds, containers, paths in cottage, formal, meadow, woodland gardens and roadside plantings. Attracts birds, hummingbirds. Drops flowers, foliage, seed, requiring maintenance. Pest and disease resistant.