Grevilleas are among the best Australian native plants grown in gardens today. Many of them flower nearly all year, and they attract native birds to the backyard. The only problem is that after five to six years some grevilleas start to look straggly, and they grow so tall that all the flowers are high up in the air where they can’t be seen.
In our segment Don looked at a row of Grevillea ‘Superb’. All of the plants in the row had been pruned except for three, which looked tall, straggly and ugly. Don recommends heavy pruning to rejuvenate taller, brush flowered grevilleas such as G. ‘Superb’, G. ‘Robyn Gordon’ and G. ‘Ned Kelly’.
Grevillea pruning tips
1. The best time to prune grevilleas is just after their major spring flowering flush (from about October to February in most areas). You can prune at other times, but keep in mind that if you prune in autumn you’ll be cutting off all the flower buds that would open through winter when nectar feeding birds have a tough time finding enough to eat.
2. Don’t prune all your grevilleas at once. Stagger the pruning over several weeks so that the birds will have a constant supply of nectar.
3. Don’t be afraid to get stuck in and prune off as much as 1m (3′) in length if necessary. The plant will produce new shoots and look thicker and more attractive within three or four months.
4. During pruning, stand back every now and again and eyeball the plant from a distance to see how it’s shaping up.
5. Don’t worry about cutting off flowers – more will soon come. Grevilleas flower more prolifically when pruned regularly.
6. Some people are allergic to contact with grevilleas, so wear long sleeves and gloves when pruning. Don also recommends using a long handled pruner, so you can prune while still keeping your distance from the plant.
Further reading
For information about buying, planting and caring for native plants, refer to ‘Don’s Guide to Native Plants’, a 20-page segment in the April edition of the Burke’s Backyard Magazine. The magazine is available at newsagents and supermarkets for $4.95.