This is a local spider flower Grevillea which has huge ornamental potential and is a master at attracting native pollinator and honey bees to your garden. It is quite a common species on the east coast of NSW and can be found growing naturally from Toronto in the north to Heathcote in the South of Sydney and as far west as Mudgee. Due to this large geographical range it is quite a hardy species and can cope with a varied climate.

It is widespread on open sandstone heath and wet to dry sclerophyll forest, meaning it also copes quite well with all soil types from dry gravel through to a deeper well drained clay. It is also happy in full sun to part shade.

I like to use it as a mid storey species, it becomes quite dense and looks great popping out over the top of lower growing shrubs and grasses.

The nectar-filled flowers also attract the honeyeaters. There are a range of cultivars of Grevillea sericea and flower colour can vary greatly depending from where the seed is collected.

Grevillea sericea is a very useful shrub in a native garden, it makes a wonderful small bird habitat plant with its prickly leaves and small spider flowers, it responds well to tip pruning and it can be shaped into a dense low screen, plus it lasts for weeks as a cut flower.

In the image above you can see it used as a mid-story feature shrub, behind Eriostemon ‘Starsprite’, Grevillea sericea is found growing locally around Sydney in sandstone bush land.

Grevillea sericea grows to between one and two metres high, enjoys a free draining soil and likes a sheltered position. It flowers from autumn through winter and on into spring and attracts large numbers of bees.