Silky Oak Grevillea
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- greh-vil-LAY-ah
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Spider flowers are a genus of about 360 species of evergreen flowering plants in the Proteaceae family. Most of them are native to Australia but a few are found in New Guinea and New Caledonia. They vary greatly from being trees to erect shrubs to cascading in form. They are evergreen plants that appreciate warm temperatures and long growing seasons. Most varieties will not survive freezing temperatures. but a few tolerate some cold such as G. victoriae and have been grown on the Pacific coast of CA and OR.
The genus was named in honor of Charles Frances Greville, an 18th-century patron of botany and co-founder of the Royal Horticultural Society.
The leaves can be either simple or compound and alternate on the stem with either a needle-like or fern-like appearance and stay attractive all year. The flowers can be small to spectacular and most have nectar that attracts hummingbirds and pollinators. The flowers are petal-less, but the narrow calyx tube produces long styles that are typically brightly colored.
Most of these plants require acidic well-drained soils low in phosphorus. Do not use a fertilizer with phosphorus in it. They need full to partial sun and most are drought-tolerant. In NC grow them in containers so they can be moved inside when temperatures approach freezing. They can be grown as a houseplant in a spot with bright light or in a greenhouse or atrium-type setting.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Handle with care - skin irritation can be severe.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Grevillea
- Family:
- Proteaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Central Malesia to New Guinea, New Caledonia, Australia
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Poisonous
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Cascading
- Clumping
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Fine
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- 3 feet-6 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Type:
- Follicle
- Fruit Description:
- A follicle that spits down 1 side releasing 1-2 seeds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Spike
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Good Cut
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Spring
- Summer
- Winter
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are arranged in a terminal cluster, tubular shaped and may be white, red, yellow, or orange. They can be small spider-like or large toothbrush shaped with a large caylx covered with protruding filaments on one side and no petals. Most have a long bloom season
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Blue
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Soft
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Margin:
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Fern-like to needle-like leaves can be either simple or compound and are alternate on the stem. They stay attractive year-round and vary in size per species.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Houseplants
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Design Feature:
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Hummingbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Problems:
- Contact Dermatitis
- Poisonous to Humans
