Hi, my name is Tom and I’m a plantaholic, unable to leave a nursery without a plant, incapable of ignoring a nodding bud, lacy leaf or fancy frond. Adhere to a climate zonal chart? Nah, not me. One place where I always find unique and wonderful plants is Colvos Creek Nursery right here on Vashon Island. Plantsman and proprietor Mike Lee is a soft-spoken gardening genius who searches for native plants and compatible drought-tolerant species from similar climates around the world. His inventory fills a 27-page catalog.
One such plant that had me at hello was the Royal Grevillea (Grevillea Victoriae), a shrubby little showstopper from Australia with flawless foliage and joyful autumn blossoms. I purchased a small start, planted it that day (a rarity for me) and proceeded to ignore it. Three years later it’s a four-foot evergreen crown in my garden, bejeweled with flaming cascades of honeysuckle-like flowers.
Top Ten Reasons Royal Grevillea Is a Great Landscape Plant:
- Drought tolerant (I rarely water it.)
- Fall bloomer (September – November)
- Deer resistant (Second photo: The Grevillea remains untouched, while rose (right) is stripped of its leaves.)
- Survived several severe snowstorms
- Flowers attract hummingbirds
- Beautifully evergreen
- Healthy, handsome gray-green foliage
- Disease-resistant
- Hardy to USDA Zone 8
- Thrives on neglect
From a man who practically feeds his gardenias and roses with a sippy cup, I appreciate a low maintenance alternative, especially one that takes no back seat to beauty and presence in the garden. (For more see: Pacific Northwest Grevilleas Revisited.)
Uh oh, now I must have one of those, it’s gorgeous! And thanks for the link to the nursery, on my list of must do’s for when I retire, next March, yea!! That and get a dog again, tho my 2 psycho Siamese won’t be thrilled. I’m quite taken with Boz!
Sandi on soggy Anderson Island
That sounds like something that should be in my ‘desert, wintery, neglected, deer visited, zone 3’ garden.
Great post Tom. I’ve got to try this one.
Jim
Wow, what a beauty Tom!
oh my! love these dainty falling over grapes of flowers! and to think these lovelies survived these snow storms! I would not have! 🙂
Great post…I’ve never heard of this plant…will have to look it up, sounds like a winner for sure!
Just bought three from Colvos Creek at the Country Store — brought them home and now wondering what I was thinking. Not sure where to put these innocent-looking little giants-in-waiting. Seduced again thanks to Ketzel Levine and Colvos Creek!
Leslie you’ll love these small shrubs. If you don’t have room for all of them, you can put a couple on the perimeter of your property between the woods and your clearing and let them go wild. The deer seem to bite once and ignore thereafter.