Honey Gem grevillea

Sun

Full sun gives the best flowering; tolerates light partial shade.

Water

Water regularly during establishment, then deeply during prolonged dry spells. Allow the soil to drain and partly dry between waterings; avoid constantly wet roots.

Soil

Well-drained sandy or loamy soil, preferably slightly acidic to neutral. Avoid waterlogged ground, strongly alkaline soil and phosphorus-rich fertilizers.

Height

10-16 ft (3-5 m)

Spread

6-13 ft (2-4 m)

Flowers

Golden-orange, toothbrush-like flower clusters through much of the year in frost-free climates, often heaviest from winter into spring.

Foliage

Evergreen. Deeply divided, fern-like green leaves with paler 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

Needs looking after

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

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   5 ft (1.6 m)

3. After 2 years

   9 ft (2.7 m)

4. After 3 years

   12 ft (3.7 m)

5. After 5 years

   13 ft (4 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 through the first growing season, allowing excess water to drain away.
• If feeding is needed, use a low-phosphorus fertilizer specifically suitable for Australian native plants.
• Apply a light organic mulch, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Keep root disturbance to a minimum once established.
• Protect young plants from frost and cold, drying winds; use a sheltered position near its cold limit.

Pruning. Tip-prune young plants to encourage branching, then lightly shorten leafy shoots after the main flowering flush. Avoid severe cuts into old, bare wood, which may not regrow reliably.

Spring

Plant after frost risk has passed; water thoroughly and mulch without covering the trunk base.

Late spring

After the main flowering flush, lightly shorten long shoots and remove dead or damaged growth.

Summer

Check soil moisture during hot spells and water establishing plants deeply rather than little and often.

Autumn

Check that drainage is clear before wetter weather; avoid hard pruning before winter.

Winter

Cover young plants during forecast frosts and avoid watering already wet soil.

• Use as an informal flowering screen where its full mature width can develop.
• Plant as a focal shrub in a sunny Australian-native border with kangaroo paws and lomandras.
• Place toward the back of a wildlife border, where visiting birds can feed without brushing against people.
• Combine with fine grasses and gravel mulch for a loose, drought-tolerant planting in a mild climate.

Garden styles it suits: Australian native, Wildlife garden, Mediterranean, Coastal, Dry gravel garden and Desert / xeriscape.

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

Wildlife: Nectar attracts honeyeaters and other nectar-feeding birds in Australia, and hummingbirds where grown in the Americas. Bees and other insects also visit the flowers; dense growth provides shelter for small birds.

• Root rot in wet or poorly drained ground: improve drainage before planting, use a raised mound where appropriate and avoid frequent watering.
• Phosphorus toxicity, causing leaf yellowing, browning and decline: stop unsuitable fertilizers and use only low-phosphorus feeds appropriate for grevilleas.
• Yellow leaves in alkaline soil: check soil pH and use an iron chelate suitable for the measured pH; a better-suited planting site may be necessary.
• Frost damage to leaves and shoot tips: protect young plants and wait until spring growth begins before removing damaged wood.

Not known to be poisonous to cats, dogs or horses, but safety information specific to this cultivar is limited. Grevillea foliage and sap can cause contact dermatitis in susceptible people; wear gloves when pruning. Do not treat the flowers or nectar as food.

• Moonlight grevillea (Grevillea 'Moonlight')

  Has similarly divided foliage and large flower clusters, but the flowers are creamy white rather than golden orange.

• Sylvia grevillea (Grevillea 'Sylvia')

  Another large shrub with divided foliage, but its flower clusters are deep pink rather than golden orange.

Grevillea honours Charles Francis Greville, a British plant collector, while 'Honey Gem' refers to the flowers' honey-gold colouring.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots in late summer, using a free-draining propagation mix. Cuttings preserve the cultivar; seedlings will not reliably come true.

Accepted botanical name

Grevillea

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