Rosemary grevillea

Sun

Full sun to light partial shade; flowering and growth are best in full sun.

Water

Water regularly during the first growing season, allowing the soil surface to dry between waterings. Established plants need occasional deep watering during prolonged dry spells, not constantly moist soil.

Soil

Well-drained, preferably slightly acidic to neutral soil with low phosphorus levels. Sandy or gravelly soil suits it; avoid waterlogged clay and heavily enriched planting holes.

Height

4-8 ft (1.2-2.4 m)

Spread

4-8 ft (1.2-2.4 m)

Flowers

Red to pink flowers with cream tips, mainly from winter through spring; scattered flowers may appear at other times in mild climates.

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, narrow, dark green leaves with rolled edges, pale undersides and sharp tips.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Water deeply during establishment, then reduce watering as roots develop.
• Use a low-phosphorus fertiliser labelled for Australian native plants only if growth is weak; avoid general-purpose feeds and bone meal.
• Apply a shallow mulch, keeping it clear of the stem base.
• Improve drainage before planting; use a raised bed where winter soil stays wet.
• Choose a sheltered position near its cold limit and protect young plants during severe freezes.

Pruning. Lightly trim after the main flowering flush to maintain a dense shape, shortening leafy shoots rather than cutting into bare old wood. Remove dead or frost-damaged branches once new growth shows which stems have survived.

Spring

Plant in cooler regions once severe frost has passed, and water thoroughly.

Late spring

Lightly trim after the main flowering flush; avoid hard cuts into leafless wood.

Summer

Check new plants during dry weather and water deeply when the root zone begins to dry.

Late summer

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

Autumn

Plant in mild-winter regions while the soil is warm; check that mulch is clear of stems.

Winter

Check drainage after heavy rain and protect young plants if severe frost is forecast.

• Plant as an informal evergreen hedge where its prickly foliage will not brush against people.
• Combine with coastal rosemary and lomandra in a dry, Australian-style shrub border.
• Use in a sunny gravel garden for fine-textured foliage and winter-to-spring colour.
• Place near a window as a bird-attracting shrub, allowing space for its mature spread.

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

Plant it with: Coastal rosemary, Lomandra, Kangaroo paw and Rockrose.

Wildlife: Nectar attracts honeyeaters in Australia and may attract hummingbirds where grown in North America. Bees also visit the flowers, and dense, prickly growth offers small birds shelter.

• Root rot in wet soil: improve drainage, reduce irrigation and replace badly affected plants in a better-drained position.
• Yellowing or scorched foliage after feeding: stop high-phosphorus fertilisers and use only a suitable low-phosphorus native-plant feed if needed.
• Frost-damaged shoots: protect young plants and wait until spring growth begins before removing dead stems.
• Scale insects: inspect stems and leaf undersides; remove small infestations by hand or use a labelled horticultural oil, avoiding hot weather and open flowers.

Not known to be poisonous to cats, dogs, horses or people, but species-specific ingestion information is limited; do not treat it as edible. Grevillea foliage and flowers can cause contact dermatitis in susceptible people, and the sharp leaf tips can irritate skin. Wear gloves when pruning.

• Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

  Rosemary has strongly aromatic leaves and small, two-lipped flowers, usually blue; rosemary grevillea has prickly leaves and curved red or pink flowers with projecting styles.

• Juniper-leaved grevillea (Grevillea juniperina)

  It usually has narrower, more needle-like leaves. The two species can be difficult to separate without examining flowers and leaf undersides, especially in garden hybrids.

• Coastal rosemary (Westringia fruticosa)

  Coastal rosemary has softer, grey-green leaves arranged in whorls and small white or pale mauve, two-lipped flowers rather than curved grevillea flowers.

Grevillea honours Charles Francis Greville, a British plant collector, while rosmarinifolia means rosemary-leaved.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer and root them in a free-draining medium with gentle bottom heat. Seed propagation is possible but germination can be irregular, and seedlings may differ from the parent.

Accepted botanical name

Grevillea rosmarinifolia

Native range

New South Wales and Victoria.

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