Grevillea Canberra Gem

Grevillea 'Canberra Gem' is a beautiful evergreen bush native to Australia, which will appeal to enthusiasts of exotic and hardy plants as well as owners of dry gardens in need of inspiration. This hybrid offers endless flowering in shades of pink to bright red, enhanced by its dense and vibrant green foliage. Like all Grevilleas, it requires full sun and a perfectly drained, light, and lime-poor soil to fully thrive. Under these conditions, a well-established plant can tolerate brief frosts of around -10/-12°C (14/10.4 °F). It is an excellent addition to flower beds or hedges in coastal gardens. It also grows well in pots, sheltered in less favourable climates.

Grevillea Canberra Gem is a bush belonging to the protea family and of hybrid origin. This variety, introduced in the early 60s, is the result of cross-breeding between Grevillea juniperina, the Juniper-leaf Grevillea, and G. rosmarinifolia, also known as the Rosemary-leaf Grevillea. All these plants are native to eastern Australia. Many Grevilleas are pioneer species in their natural environment: they tolerate fairly poor, non-limestone dry soils and require full sun to flower. It grows moderately fast, reaching its mature size in 3-4 years, and has a rounded habit, occupying an average space of 2m (6 ft 7 in) in all directions. It develops thin ascending branches, tangled together, forming a dense and bushy mass. Its small narrow and pointed leaves do not exceed 1.5 to 3cm (0.6 to 1.2 in) in length and are 1mm (0 in) wide. They are smooth, hairy on the underside, and vibrant green. The flowering takes place from March to July-August, without interruption. The flowers, in shades of pink-red, are composed of petaloid styles curled upon themselves and long curved stamens. They are grouped in upright clusters of 5cm (2 in). The root system of this plant is very dense at the surface, which indicates an adaptation to nutrient-poor soils and summer drought.

Grevillea Canberra Gem, is not difficult to grow as long as the required conditions are met. This bush requires little maintenance and tolerates light pruning, which will help it remain dense. It prefers to be planted in coastal gardens spared from heavy frosts, in light, well-draining, and slightly acidic soil. Particularly suited to Mediterranean climates, it will create dense and flowering hedges for a very long period. It will also make a good impression when planted alone on large slopes or at the back of dry gardens, but always in an open and sunny position. In an exotic or Mediterranean garden, it can be associated with proteas, Agave, Canary Island viper's bugloss, Euphorbia mellifera, evergreen ceanothus, Melianthus major, palm trees, as well as Callistemon and Leptospermum. Growing it in containers allows for both controlling the composition of the substrate and overwintering the bush in a cold greenhouse or a very bright and minimally heated conservatory.