Grevillea ‘Moonlight’ Update
One of the most popular grevilleas in Australia at the moment, Grevillea ‘Moonlight’ is a tall growing cultivar which has long spikes of beautiful creamy white flowers for most of the year. Grevillea ‘Moonlight’ is best grown in the warmer zones of Australia, however Don recently discovered two plants growing at Mittagong, in the NSW southern highlands, which has a cool frosty climate. Both grevilleas were doing well, although they were smaller than usual.
Plant details
Common name: Grevillea Moonlight
Botanic name: Grevillea ‘Moonlight’
Description: A large shrub or small tree which grows to about 5m (15′) tall. The soft cream flowers are highly bird attracting, and are produced for most of the year.
Climate: It is best grown in the warmer zones of Australia, but is worth a try in cooler areas.
Good points:
creamy/white flowers flowers for most of the year highly bird attracting
Likes:
well drained soil full sun
Dislikes:
heavy frosts
Care:
Native plants and in particular grevilleas benefit from regular pruning. Grevillea specialists recommend pruning the plant in late May and late November and cutting it back by about one third. Old plants that are looking scruffy can be rejuvenated by pruning in this manner. With small, low-growing grevilleas that have become scrawny it is best to simply pull them up as they can be readily replaced with a new, vigorous plant. Within six months the new plant will have become well established. Grevilleas don’t require a lot of fertilizer, but you could use a low phosphorus fertilizer such as Osmocote for natives, or one of the fish emulsion products when necessary. Don advises not to grow grevilleas in lawns, because the frequent applications of lawn food could kill them.
Availability:
Contact your local specialist native nursery for Grevillea ‘Moonlight’. If they are not available, the nursery should be able to order them in.
