Grevillea juniperina

“A prickly, much branched shrub 1-2m high” – NPOS p.95

This Juniper Grevillea is growing on the nature strip out the front, it’s self seeded which is interesting because although it’s a native plant it’s meant to be uncommon and mainly occurring in western Sydney.

The Juniper Grevillea is a hardy and adaptable species, which can be demonstrated by how well it’s doing without any care or cultivation. I’ve even recently cut it back as it’s been over growing onto the road. It’s in the form of a dense shrub which grows up to 2m tall, it has narrow stiff leaves that end with a sharp point. Flowers are red and take on the typical spidery Grevillea form. It’s meant to flower from September – November, our seems to flower year round, the picture was taken in July.

I’ve tried unsuccessfully a few times to collect seeds and grow them. Apparently you can achieve a greater chance of success by nicking the seeds to expose the embryo, or exposing the seeds to fire and smoke. They will also grow from cuttings. I’ll give these a go. It’s a beautiful plant that is extremely hardy and will not grow too tall, the rabbits and wallabies seem to leave it alone too, perfect for the garden.

Sources and more info 

• Wikipedia
• Australian Native Plant Society
• Office of Environment and Heritage – NSW
• Atlas of Living Australia