Grevillea 'Golden Lyre'

One of the newer subtropical grevilleas available now, 'Golden Lyre' is a hybrid between Grevillea 'Honey Gem' and the species Grevillea formosa. 'Honey Gem' is one of the Burke's Backyard recommended grevilleas as it flowers over a long period and is very attractive to birds, while G. formosa has long, green toothbrush flowers which turn golden yellow with age. Don regards 'Golden Lyre' as one of the best grevilleas ever produced, and other plants in his garden, like the yellow flowered Grevillea 'Golden Yul-Lo', seemed to pale by comparison.

Plant details

Common name: Grevillea
Botanic name: Grevillea 'Golden Lyre' (Grevillea formosa x 'Honey Gem')
Description: Outstanding grevillea, growing to about 3m (10') tall, and 5m (15') wide, with arching branches and green/yellow brush flowers in summer and autumn.
Best climate: 'Golden Lyre' will grow in the warmer zones of Australia, north from Perth, Adelaide and Sydney, but it may not be tolerant of very cold conditions.

Good points:

green/yellow toothbrush flowers flowers over a long period highly bird attracting

Likes:

full sun well-drained fertile soil

Care:

fertilize once a year with a low phosphorus fertilizer such as Osmocote for natives prune after flowering

Further information

It may be difficult to track down 'Golden Lyre'. Your local Australian native plant specialist may be able to help, or you can order by mail from Fairhill Native Nursery, Fairhill Road, Yandina, QLD, 4561. Telephone (07) 5446 7088. The cost for 140mm (6") sized pots would be around $7, or for 200mm (8") sized pots, about $12.

Copyright CTC Productions 1999