| Common name | woolly grevillea | | Scientific name | Grevillea lanigera Cunn. ex R. Br. | | Family | Proteaceae | | Etymology | Genus: After Charles Francis Greville, 1749-1809, co-founder of the Horticultural Society, London, later the Royal Horticultural Society. Species: From Latin, lana, wool; ger, to bear or to carry. A reference to the hairy branches and foliage. | | Distribution | From near Bathurst in New South Wales south to Wilson's Promontory, Victoria . | | Native habitat | Has a wide natural distribution, from eucalypt woodlands and forests to subalpine habitats and coastal heaths. | | Description | A low-growing shrub. | | Flowering/fruiting | Flowers particularly in winter and spring, but can flower throughout the year. | | Location in Garden | A number of beds in the Banksia Garden. | | | Woolly grevillea gets its name from the hairy leaves and branches which give the plant a grey colour. It thrives in a variety of soils, provides a good groundcover, will withstand coastal exposure and will attract nectar-feeding birds. There are many different forms of the woolly grevillea, including some that are very prostrate, such as that shown here. Flower colours range from cream or yellow through to orange, red or pink. It hybridises readily with other Grevillea species such as crimson grevillea (G. polybractea) and rosemary grevillea (G. rosmarinifolia), and some of these hybrids are being selected for the nursery. | | |  |