Grevillea Moonlight

Sun

Full sun gives the best flowering; tolerates light partial shade. Shelter from cold, drying winds.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, allowing the soil surface to dry between waterings. Established plants tolerate dry spells but flower better with occasional deep watering during prolonged drought.

Soil

Well-drained, mildly acidic to neutral soil with low phosphorus levels. Avoid waterlogged ground, strongly alkaline soil and heavily enriched planting holes.

Height

12-20 ft (3.7-6 m)

Spread

8-15 ft (2.4-4.6 m)

Flowers

Large, creamy-white to pale ivory, toothbrush-like flower clusters; flowers through much of the year in warm, frost-free climates, with stronger flushes from spring into autumn.

Foliage

Evergreen. Long, deeply divided green leaves with paler, slightly silky undersides.

Growth

Fast in warm conditions

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Hard

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.9 ft (0.58 m)

2. After 1 year

   6 ft (1.9 m)

3. After 2 years

   11 ft (3.2 m)

4. After 3 years

   15 ft (4.5 m)

5. After 5 years

   16 ft (4.9 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply during the first growing season, then reduce watering as roots establish.
• Use only a low-phosphorus fertiliser labelled for Australian native plants, and feed lightly if growth is weak.
• Apply an organic mulch over the root zone, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Avoid digging or cultivating around the shallow roots.
• Protect young plants from frost; outside mild coastal districts in the UK and the warmest parts of Canada, provide frost-free winter shelter.

Pruning. Tip-prune young plants to encourage branching, then shorten leafy shoots after a main flowering flush in spring or summer. Avoid cutting hard into bare old wood, and remove dead or damaged branches back to healthy growth.

Spring

Plant after frost risk has passed, in a sunny position with freely draining soil.

Spring

Check growth and apply a light dressing of low-phosphorus native-plant fertiliser only if needed.

Early summer

Tip-prune young growth or lightly shape after a flowering flush.

Summer

Water newly planted shrubs deeply; give established plants occasional deep watering during extended dry weather.

Autumn

Refresh mulch and check that water drains away from the root zone.

Winter

Protect young plants during frost warnings and keep container-grown plants under bright, frost-free cover where winters are cold.

• Use as a tall, informal screen where its full mature width can be accommodated.
• Plant as a small specimen tree in a warm courtyard, allowing room for its broad crown.
• Combine with kangaroo paws and mat rushes in an Australian native planting.
• Use pale flowers against dark evergreen foliage in a white or moon garden.
• Place near, but not directly beside, a sitting area to watch nectar-feeding birds.

Garden styles it suits: Australian native, Wildlife garden, Mediterranean, Coastal, White garden and Moon garden.

Plant it with: Kangaroo paw, Coastal rosemary, Mat rush, Geraldton wax and Bottlebrush.

Wildlife: Nectar attracts honeyeaters and other nectar-feeding birds in Australia, hummingbirds where they occur, and visiting insects. Dense foliage also offers shelter for small birds.

• Root rot in wet soil: improve drainage, reduce watering and avoid planting in low, waterlogged spots.
• Yellow leaves in alkaline soil: check soil pH and drainage; use a suitable chelated iron treatment if iron deficiency is confirmed.
• Phosphorus toxicity from unsuitable fertiliser: stop feeding with general-purpose or high-phosphorus products and use only low-phosphorus native-plant fertiliser.
• Frost damage to leaves and shoot tips: protect young plants and wait until spring growth begins before removing damaged wood.

Not known to be a common cause of poisoning in cats, dogs or horses, but cultivar-specific safety information is limited. Leaves and sap can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive people, so wear gloves when pruning. Do not eat the flowers, nectar or other parts: some grevilleas contain cyanogenic compounds, and this cultivar should not be treated as edible.

• Honey Gem grevillea (Grevillea 'Honey Gem')

  Has a similar tall habit and divided foliage, but its flower clusters are golden-orange rather than creamy white.

• Misty Pink grevillea (Grevillea 'Misty Pink')

  Produces pink-and-cream flower clusters rather than the predominantly ivory flowers of 'Moonlight'.

• Silky oak (Grevillea robusta)

  Becomes a much larger tree and bears golden-orange flowers, usually in a more distinct seasonal flush.

Grevillea honours Charles Francis Greville, an English plant collector and patron of botany.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots in summer and root them in a free-draining propagation mix with gentle humidity. Cuttings preserve the cultivar; seedlings will not reliably resemble the parent.

Accepted botanical name

Grevillea

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.