Ned Kelly grevillea

Sun

Full sun gives the best flowering; tolerates light partial shade. Choose a warm position sheltered from cold winds.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then deeply during prolonged dry spells. Let the soil drain and partly dry between waterings; avoid continually wet roots.

Soil

Well-drained, low-phosphorus soil, preferably slightly acidic to neutral. Sandy or gravelly soil suits it; use a raised bed where drainage is poor.

Height

5-6.5 ft (1.5-2 m)

Spread

6.5-10 ft (2-3 m)

Flowers

Orange-red and golden-yellow brush-like flower clusters, mainly from spring through autumn; flowers may appear throughout the year in mild, frost-free climates.

Foliage

Evergreen, deeply divided green leaves forming a broad, bushy canopy.

Growth

Moderate to 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

   2.7 ft (0.81 m)

3. After 2 years

   4 ft (1.1 m)

4. After 3 years

   5 ft (1.4 m)

5. After 5 years

   6 ft (1.8 m)

   full size

About 4 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 the soil to drain between waterings.
• Use only a low-phosphorus fertiliser formulated for Australian native plants, and apply sparingly.
• Keep a light mulch over the root zone, leaving the base of the stems clear.
• Avoid disturbing established roots or planting into wet, compacted ground.
• Protect young plants from frost; in colder climates, use a large container and overwinter in a bright, frost-free place.

Pruning. Lightly shorten flowered shoots after a main flush of bloom, once frost risk has passed, to maintain a dense shape. Avoid cutting hard into bare old wood, which may not reshoot reliably.

Spring

Plant after frost risk has passed, or repot container plants using a free-draining, low-phosphorus mix.

Late spring

Lightly trim after a main flowering flush to encourage branching.

Summer

Check soil moisture during extended dry weather and water deeply when needed.

Late summer

Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots.

Autumn

In frost-free climates, plant while the soil is warm; elsewhere, prepare shelter for container plants.

Winter

Protect from frost and keep container plants on the dry side without letting the root ball dry out completely.

• Use as a flowering focal shrub in a sunny Australian native planting.
• Combine with low-growing banksias, westringias and lomandras for contrasting foliage and a shared low-phosphorus feeding regime.
• Plant as an informal flowering screen, allowing enough space for its broad spread.
• Grow in a large, well-drained container on a sunny terrace where winter shelter is available.
• Place within view of a window to watch nectar-feeding birds, but away from narrow paths where foliage may brush skin.

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

Plant it with: Coastal rosemary, Lomandra, Kangaroo paw, Dwarf banksia, Waxflower and Blue flax-lily.

Wildlife: Nectar-rich flowers attract honeyeaters and other nectar-feeding birds in Australia, hummingbirds where present in North America, and visiting insects. Dense growth can provide cover for small birds.

• Root rot in wet soil: improve drainage before planting, keep mulch away from stems and avoid frequent shallow watering.
• Phosphorus toxicity, often showing as yellowing or scorched foliage: stop general-purpose fertilisers and use only a suitable low-phosphorus native-plant feed.
• Frost damage to young shoots: choose a sheltered position, cover during light frosts and wait until spring to remove damaged growth.
• Scale insects: inspect stems and leaf undersides; remove small infestations by hand or use a labelled horticultural oil, testing a small area first.

Not known to be poisonous to cats, dogs or horses, although cultivar-specific safety information is limited. Leaves and sap can cause contact dermatitis in people, sometimes severe in sensitive individuals; wear gloves and long sleeves when pruning. Do not treat the flowers or nectar as food.

• Robyn Gordon grevillea (Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon')

  Has similar divided foliage, but its flower clusters are predominantly red rather than the orange-red and golden-yellow combination of 'Ned Kelly'.

• Red silky oak (Grevillea banksii)

  Usually becomes a taller, more upright shrub, with leaves divided into longer, narrower lobes and flowers that are generally red or cream rather than strongly orange-and-yellow bicoloured.

Grevillea honours the British plant collector Charles Francis Greville, while 'Ned Kelly' refers to the Australian bushranger.

Propagation. Propagate from semi-ripe cuttings in late summer or early autumn, using a very free-draining medium and gentle bottom heat if available. Seedlings will not reliably retain the cultivar's characteristics.

Accepted botanical name

Grevillea

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