Grevillea

These shrubs and trees come from Australia and are grown for their beautiful fern-like foliage and small tubular flowers. They can be grown outside in mild climates such as California. Outdoors, in regular soil, they can grow over 100 feet tall. Most of them have small, thin, tomentose (woolly-coated) leaves. G. robusta does not flower while small; it's mainly grown for its ornamental foliage. Other kinds such as G. Thelemanniana and G. rosmarinifolia will produce flowers when grown in small pots. The flowers of these plants grow in clusters at the ends of the branches. They are about half of an inch long and come in reds, yellows, or pinks. They require a minimum temperature of 45 degrees.

Pot Cultivation

The best potting compost consists of equal parts of turfy loam, peat, and sand. Repotting should be done in March and a little of the old soil should be replaced with fresh. Large plants may be grown in tubs or in a bed of soil in a greenhouse. Prune these plants by slightly shortening the shoots after flowering. They need full sun and good ventilation. From October through April they should be watered moderately, and during the summer the soil is constantly kept moist.

Propagation

Young shoots, with a "heel" of wood attached, can be inserted into sandy peat in the summer and placed under a bell jar in the greenhouse until they form roots. They are then potted in 3-inch pots. Grevillea robusta can be raised from seeds that are planted in sandy soil in the spring and placed in a propagating case in the greenhouse. The seedlings are potted in small pots and later are moved into 5-inch pots.