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Grevillea ()^[1] is a diverse genus of about 360 species of evergreen flowering plants in the protea family Proteaceae, native to Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Sulawesi. It was named in honour of Charles Francis Greville. The species range from prostrate shrubs less than 0.5 m tall to trees 35 m tall. Common names include Grevillea, Spider Flower, Silky-oak and Toothbrush.

Closely related to the genus Hakea, the genus gives its name to the subfamily Grevilleoideae. Many species of grevilleas are popular garden plants, especially in Australia but also in other temperate and subtropical climates. Many grevilleas have a propensity to interbreed freely, and extensive hybridisation and selection of horticulturally desirable attributes has led to the commercial release of many cultivars. Among the best known are Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon', a small shrub up to 1.5 metres high and wide which can flower 12 months of the year in subtropical climates.

Species

There are over 350 species which are endemic to Australia, including the following:

Five species are endemic to areas outside Australia. Three of these - G. exul., G. gillivrayi, and G. meisneri are endemic to New Caledonia while G. elbertii and G. papuana are endemic to Sulawesi and New Guinea respectively. Two other species, G. baileyana and G. glauca, occur in both New Guinea and Queensland.

Uses

Traditional Aboriginal use

Grevillea flowers were a traditional favourite among Aborigines for their sweet nectar. This could be shaken onto the hand to enjoy, or into a coolamon with a little water to make a sweet drink. They might be referred to as the original "bush lollies".

Drinking nectar direct from the flower is best avoided as some commonly cultivated Grevillea spec ies produce flowers containing toxic cyanide.^[2][3]

Colonial furniture

A Grevillea wood veneer was used on a Pembroke table, a small table with two drawers and folding sides, made in the 1790s for Commissioner of the Royal Navy, Sir Andrew Snape Hamond. The timber from which the veneer was made, referred to as 'beef wood', was sent from Port Jackson by Surgeon-General John White, who arrived in the new penal colony of Australia with the First Fleet. This table is in the collection of the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.^[4]

Cultivation

Many species are cultivated for their distinctive foliage and showy flowers, and they have been extensively hybridised. They can be grown from soft tip cuttings from December-March (in the Southern Hemisphere) or seed.

Many harder to grow species can be grafted onto hardy rootstock such as Grevillea robusta.

Grevilleas hybridise extremely easily in cultivation. this has resulted in a huge number of named Grevillea cultivars.

They are also good bird-attracting plants, honeyeaters in particular are common visitors. They are also used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Dryandra Moth.

There is an active Grevillea Study Group in the Australian Native Plants Society for people interested in Grevilleas, both for uses in horticulture and for conservation in the wild.

Gallery

• 

  Grevillea banksii

• 

  G. candelabroides, Mingenew

• 

  Grevillea dielsiana

• 

  G. wickhamii aprica

• 

  G. rivularis

• 

ally desirable attributes has led to the commercial release of many cultivars. Among the best known are Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon', a small shrub up to 1.5 metres high and wide which can flower 12 months of the year in subtropical climates.

Species

Th ere are over 350 species which are endemic to Australia, including the following:

Five species are endemic to areas outside Australia. Three of these - G. exul., G. gillivrayi, and G. meisneri are endemic to New Caledonia while G. elbertii and G. papuana are endemic to Sulawesi and New Guinea respectively. Two other species, G. baileyana and G. glauca, occur in both New Guinea and Queensland.

Uses

Traditio nal Aboriginal use

Grevillea flowers were a traditional favourite among Aborigines for their sweet nectar. This could be shaken onto the hand to enjoy, or into a coolamon with a little water to make a sweet drink. They might be referred to as the original "bush lollies".

Drinking nectar direct from the flower is best avoided as some commonly cultivated Grevillea species produce flowers containing toxic cyanide.^[2][3]

Colonial furniture

A Grevillea wood veneer was used on a Pembroke table, a small table with two drawers and folding sides, made in the 1790s for Commissioner of the Royal Navy, Sir Andrew Snape Hamond. The timber from which the veneer was made, referred to as 'beef wood', was sent from Port Jackson by Surgeon-General John White, who arrived in the new penal colony of Australia with the First Fleet. This table is in the collection of the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.^[4]

Cultivation

Many species are cultivated for their distinctive foliage and showy flowers, and they have been extensively hybridised. They can be grown from soft tip cuttings from December-March (in the Southern Hemisphere) or seed.

Many harder to grow species can be grafted onto hardy rootstock such as Grevillea robusta.

Grevilleas hybridise extremely easily in cultivation. this has resulted in a huge number of named Grevillea cultivars.

They are also good bird-attracting plants, honeyeaters in particular are common visitors. They are also used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Dryandra Moth.

There is an active Grevillea Study Group in the Australian Native Plants Society for people interested in Grevilleas, both for uses in horticulture and for conservation in the wild.

Gallery

• 

  Grevillea banksii

• 

  G. candelabroides, Mingenew

• 

  Grevillea dielsiana

• 

  G. wickhamii aprica

• 

  G. rivularis

• 

References

External links

• The Grevillea Page of ASGAP
• The Illawarra Grevillea Park Page
• ABRS Flora of Australia online: Grevillea