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Grevilleas have always been a popular gardening topic at Better Homes and Gardens, so I’m surprised when Tim Pickles, horticulturist and eponymous owner of Tim’s Garden Centre in Campbelltown tells me they haven’t been selling well in recent years. “There’s a reason for that,” he explains, “people’s gardens are so tiny. They just don’t have room for grevilleas, which can grow up to three metres or quite large shrubs.”
It’s a shame, as grevilleas are known for their long-lasting flowers, drought resistance, and ability to attract beneficial birds and insects. One way gardeners can incorporate this native beauty into even the smallest of gardens, is to embrace ground cover grevillea varieties with compact growth habits. Here, Tim shares his favourite grevillea ground cover varieties for both small backyards and large ones.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Grevilleas are hardy native Australian flowering plants that attract birds and beneficial bugs into the garden.
- Older grevillea ground cover varieties require plenty of space to grow, but newer varieties, such as Blue Mountains Rambler can be grown in small backyards or even in containers.
- Tim’s top pick for a compact grevillea ground cover is Blue Mountains Rambler (Grevillea laurifolia)
The best grevillea ground cover varieties for small gardens
Think a small garden can’t accommodate grevillea? These compact varieties are versatile enough to provide ground cover in small areas or become a statement in their own right in a hanging pot or container garden.
1. Blue Mountains Rambler (Grevillea laurifolia)
“My favourite grevillea ground cover at the moment is Blue Mountains Rambler,” says Tim. “What I love about it is that it has gorgeous, rounded green leaves – it’s not prickly at all.”
“It has coppery-coloured new growth and it was found growing wild in the Blue Mountains, so it has great cold and heat tolerance and beautiful red toothbrush flowers. Customers are really loving this plant.”
Fast facts – Grevillea Blue Mountains Rambler
Mature size: Grows up to 10cm tall and 4 metres wide
Care requirements: Full sun to semi shade, frost tolerant, sandy, free-draining soil
Suitable to grow in a pot? Yes
2. Pink Midget (Cultivar)
Pink midget is a dwarf variety of grevillea that looks incredible when planted in clusters, and will creep and drape over retaining walls and rock borders. “It’s a low-spreading shrub and ground cover,” says Tim. “It gets beautiful pink flowers on it all year round, so it’s a good one.” The flowers are highly attractive to bees, which is also a bonus.
To keep grevillea pink midget in shape, prune lightly once flowers have finished.
Fast facts – Pink midget
Mature size: Grows up to 50cm tall and 1 metre wide
Care requirements: Well-draining soil, light sun to full shade, drought tolerant
Suitable to grow in a pot? Yes
3. New Blood (Grevillea juniperina)
“This is a new grevillea variety that people occasionally come in and ask for specifically,” says Tim. “It’s got tiny leaves and little spidery flowers. The flowers sit on top of the plant, with the foliage underneath, so they really do stand out.”
The leaves may look spiky, but Tim says they’re surprisingly soft to the touch. They produce vivid red flowers all year round and, once established, are incredibly hardy, tolerating both drought conditions and low levels of sunlight.
Fast facts – New blood
Mature size: 30cm tall and 1.5 metres wide
Care requirements: Well-draining soil, full sun to semi-shaded position, prefers dry climates
Suitable to grow in a pot? Yes
4. Mt Tamboritha (Grevillea lanigera)
“This grevillea is a good one because it doesn’t take up a massive amount of space,” says Tim. This plant is distinguished by its fine, dense foliage and spidery, cream-to-pink flowers.
This is a great ground cover to choose if you live in a coastal area, or want to create a rockery-style garden.
Fast facts – Mt Tamboritha
Mature size: Grows up to 30cm tall and 1.1-1.5 metres wide
Care requirements: Well-draining soil, full sun to part shade, frost and drought tolerant, prefers dry climate
Suitable to grow in a pot? Yes
The best grevillea ground cover varieties for large gardens
Landscaping a larger area? These grevillea varieties are fast-growing, hardy and in some cases may spread up to 6 metres wide.
1. Grevillea Royal Mantle
Royal Mantle is an older grevillea ground cover variety that spreads quickly with a dense growth habit. It’s great for larger gardens and backyards, as it spreads but stays quite low to the ground, requiring minimal upkeep once established.
It’s a popular choice for gardens with soil erosion, or those on a slope, and they look stunning trailing over retaining walls.
Fast facts – Royal Mantle
Mature size: Can grow up to 50cm tall and 6 metres wide
Care requirements: Well-draining, sandy soil, full sun to part shade
Suitable to grow in a pot? No
2. Grevillea gaudichaudii
Gaudichaudii is another fast-growing grevillea ground cover with an impressive spread of up to three metres. While it produces toothbrush-like pink to red flowers twice a year (in spring and summer), it’s grown mostly for its lush, bronze-green foliage.
This plant is an excellent choice for large gardens where the aim is to prevent weed growth or reduce soil erosion.
Fast facts – Grevillea gaudichaudii
Mature size: Can grow up to 20cm tall and 3 metres wide
Care requirements: Well-draining sandy soil, full sun to light shade, tolerates light frosts
Suitable to grow in a pot? No
How to prepare your garden for growing grevillea as a ground cover
Tim says the most important thing you can do to prepare your garden for growing grevillea ground covers successfully is to prepare the soil. “Put about 10cm of free-draining soil on top of your existing soil – this will improve drainage.”
One mistake people often make is to simply dig a hole, plant their grevillea, and hope for the best. “If you’ve got clay soil, you’ll make a pond – when it rains, the hole fills up with water, which grevilleas won’t like,” says Tim.
The best grevillea groundcover for small gardens is Blue Mountains Rambler, as it’s compact enough to be grown in a garden bed or in a pot. For a larger garden, consider older-style grevillea ground cover cultivars, including Grevillea Royal Mantle or Grevillea gaudichaudii. These varieties are known for their resilient, dense and fast-growing nature.
With shrinking garden sizes in Australia, the biggest downside to grevilleas is that most older varieties require too much space. If you’re working in a small garden or even on a balcony but have your heart set on a grevillea, pay close attention to mature growth sizes and opt for a newer variety with compact, low growth, such as Blue Mountains Rambler or Pink Midget, both of which can be grown in pots and look incredible in hanging baskets.
