Robyn Gordon grevillea

Sun

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

Water

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

Soil

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

Height

5-7 ft (1.5-2.1 m)

Spread

5-8 ft (1.5-2.4 m)

Flowers

Red flower clusters through much of the year in frost-free climates, often strongest from spring to autumn; flowering is more seasonal in cooler areas.

Foliage

Evergreen. Leathery, deeply divided green leaves give the shrub a coarse, fern-like texture.

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

Fairly tough

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 (0.83 m)

3. After 2 years

   4 ft (1.2 m)

4. After 3 years

   5 ft (1.5 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 excess water to drain away.
• Use only a low-phosphorus fertiliser labelled for phosphorus-sensitive Australian native plants, and apply sparingly.
• Keep a light mulch over the root zone, clear of the stems.
• Use a free-draining, low-phosphorus potting mix for container plants; never leave the pot standing in water.
• Protect young plants from frost and move containers into bright, frost-free shelter before winter.

Pruning. Lightly trim after a main flush of flowers to encourage branching and maintain a rounded shape. Avoid cutting hard into old, leafless wood, and wear gloves and long sleeves because contact can cause dermatitis.

Spring

Plant after the risk of damaging frost has passed, choosing a sunny position with excellent drainage.

Spring

If growth is weak, apply a small amount of low-phosphorus native-plant fertiliser.

Early summer

Lightly trim after a flowering flush to keep growth dense.

Summer

Water young plants and containers deeply during dry weather; check that drainage remains clear.

Late summer

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

Autumn

Move container plants under bright, frost-free cover where winters are cold.

Winter

Keep sheltered plants on the dry side without allowing the root ball to dry out completely.

• Use as a flowering focal shrub in a sunny Australian native planting with kangaroo paws and mat rushes.
• Plant as an informal low screen where its broad habit has room to develop without frequent clipping.
• Add to a bird-friendly border, away from narrow paths where its foliage could brush bare skin.
• Grow in a large container on a sunny patio in colder climates, with space to shelter it in winter.

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

Plant it with: Kangaroo paw, Coastal rosemary, Mat rush, Correa and Waxflower.

Wildlife: Nectar attracts honeyeaters and other nectar-feeding birds in Australia, hummingbirds where present in the Americas, and visiting insects. Dense growth also provides cover for small birds.

• Root rot in wet soil: improve drainage, reduce watering and avoid sites that remain waterlogged in winter.
• Phosphorus injury, causing yellowing, scorched leaves or decline: stop general-purpose fertilisers and use a low-phosphorus native-plant feed only if needed.
• Frost damage: protect young growth with horticultural fleece and overwinter containers in bright, frost-free shelter.
• Scale insects: inspect stems and leaf undersides, remove small infestations by hand and use a labelled horticultural oil if needed, avoiding hot weather.

Foliage, flowers and sap can cause allergic contact dermatitis in people; reactions can be severe in sensitive individuals. It is not known to cause systemic poisoning in cats, dogs or horses, but animal-specific information is limited. It is not an edible plant, and the effects of ingestion are poorly documented.

• Superb grevillea (Grevillea 'Superb')

  Has similar divided foliage and brush-like flowers, but the flowers are generally salmon-orange with cream rather than predominantly red.

• Ned Kelly grevillea (Grevillea 'Ned Kelly')

  Usually has orange-red flowers with conspicuous yellow portions, rather than the more uniformly red display of 'Robyn Gordon'; check a nursery label when plants are not flowering.

Grevillea honours the British plant collector Charles Francis Greville, and Australian breeder David Gordon named 'Robyn Gordon' for his daughter.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer and root them in a free-draining propagation mix with gentle bottom heat if available. Cuttings preserve the cultivar; seed will not reliably produce the same plant. Specialist nurseries may also graft it onto suitable rootstocks.

Accepted botanical name

Grevillea

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