Grevilleas grown in containers: taking care of Grevillea plants indoors
The Grevillea silk oak is an evergreen or shrubby tree with fine leaves and curly flowers. The native Australian is useful as a hedge, specimen tree or pot plant. In most areas of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the only way to care for this plant is to grow Grevillea indoors.
This plant grows outdoors in areas such as Southern California and needs lots of light and heat. In cooler climates, container-grown greens can be taken indoors in the fall and returned to the yard or garden when temperatures are warm in late spring.
Find out how to grow a Grevillea houseplant so you can enjoy its elegant shape and colourful flowers as an attractive accent plant for your home.
Data on the plant Grevillea
There are over 250 species of Grevillea and new cultivars are introduced every year in nurseries and specialty plant markets. Smaller forms work better than container-grown Grevilleas. Grevillea thelemanniana and G. rosmarinfolia are perfect potted varieties.
The curved tubular flowers come in different shades of red, pink and yellow. The leaves resemble some types of rosemary and have a slightly woolly coating on the grey-green foliage.
Grevillea requires temperatures above 7°C. It is not a frost resistant plant and must be brought indoors where temperatures freeze.
How to grow a Grevillea houseplant
Growing Grevillea indoors may be the only option for northern gardeners to enjoy this spectacularly flowering plant. Small trees are perfect for large pots and many types of shrubs can be pruned to a height small enough for other potting situations.
Caring for Grevillea plants indoors involves a good planting mix at first. A combination of clay, peat moss and sand provides drainage, but also some moisture retention. Grevillea plants can withstand dry periods but work best when kept moderately moist.
Grevillea plant care
Choose a container that is deep enough to allow the roots to spread a little, as the plant is comfortable in its potting situation. The width should be at least 2 cm wider than the width of the Grevillea root.
Place the container in a bright window with good air circulation. Average indoor temperatures are generally suitable for growing Grevillea indoors.
Prune after the plant has bloomed. Trim the flower tips to the next growing node.
Keep the soil moist in summer, but water only once a month from October to April.
Use a granulated plant food that has been worked into the soil and then watered. Feed in April and once a month until fall. Choose a low phosphorus formulation. You can tell if the formula is low by looking at the average number in the plant food, which is phosphorus.
Be alert for pests and use a biological pesticide to manage small infestations immediately.
