I have mass planted Grevillea ‘Mellow Yellow in a semi shaded position in my garden and have been surprised at its tenacity and ability to cover its self in blooms for an extended period of time. The small striking spider like flowers appeared in Summer and are showing no sign of slowing down as we rapidly approach the Winter months. The flower is made up of a perianth tube that can be seen as almost black at the base in some sections (is this on the immature or older part of the flower?) to a lime green or lemon yellow, and the foliage is a soft grey-green, a wonderful colour combination.
Once established this Australian native will display these nectar filled flowers attracting local birds butterflies and bees and give a highlight to a shady corner.
Grevillea ‘Mellow Yellow’ (Grevillea lanigera) is a small prostrate shrub with a spread of up to 1.5mts. When mass planted this plant will provide great ground cover with its dense matt habit. I have placed rocks around the base of these plants to provide a more aerated space for the plants to grow over. This has helped after the heavy rainfalls we have experienced over the past year.
Showing off dense evergreen foliage almost woolly in appearance (hence the common name for the Grevillea lanigera – Woolly Grevillea), this Australian Native is both frost and drought tolerant.
Grown alongside Themeda ‘Mingo’ this Grevillea provides great habitat for insects and lizards in the garden, and lets face it, everything looks good combined with Themeda ‘Mingo’ 😉
Grevilleas lanigera ‘Mellow Yellow’ likes a well drained moist soil ranging from pH6-7.5. Plant in a Full sun to semi shade position. Can be grown in pots, rockeries, planter boxes and roof gardens. May require an annual light prune after flowering to encourage a denser habit. Being a cultivar of Grevillea lanigera, ‘Mellow Yellow’ is quite hardy, and can withstand some Summer humidity and is also frost tolerant.
Written by Jo McLuskey and Kath Gadd
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