Grevillea lanigera 'Mt. Tamboritha'

Woolly Grevillea ‘Mt Tamboritha’ / Mt Tamboritha Grevillea

Botanical Name: Grevillea lanigera ‘Mt Tamboritha’
Family: Proteaceae
Origin: South-eastern Australia (cultivar of a Victorian/NSW species)
Plant Type: Evergreen prostrate shrub (groundcover, spreading)

Overview

A celebrated low, dense, woolly grevillea that forms a tidy silver-green mat and flowers from late autumn through spring in Adelaide/SA. Small pink-red and cream spider flowers dot the foliage and draw honeyeaters. Exceptionally tough, coastal-tolerant and lime-tolerant, it’s ideal for rockeries, retaining walls, verges and hot, low-water borders—so long as drainage is good and fertiliser is low-phosphorus.

Key Features

• Mature Size: 0.2–0.3 m H × 1.5–2.5 m W (spreading, cascading edges)
• Growth Rate: 20-40 (spread) cm per year under good conditions
• Foliage: Fine, woolly grey- to blue-green leaves; new growth can show soft bronze tones
• Flowers: Small pink-red & cream “spider” clusters, mainly late autumn–spring (spot blooms outside peak)
  
• Seasonal Interest: Winter–spring colour; silvery, weed-suppressing mat year-round
• Wildlife Value: Excellent nectar for honeyeaters and pollinators; shelter for small fauna
• Tolerance: Drought-tolerant once established, heat & wind hardy, second-line coastal OK; light–moderate frost tolerant; clay-loam OK if mounded/raised; dislikes waterlogging & high-P fertilisers
• Planting Density: Mass cover: 1 plant per 1–1.5 m² (≈ 0.9–1.2 m centres) • Edge/wall spill-over: 0.8–1.0 m apart
• Pet Friendly: Generally non-toxic, but sap/foliage can irritate sensitive skin—gloves recommended

Where It Works Best

• Sunlight: Full sun to light part shade (best flowering in sun)
• Soil: Free-draining sandy/loam; tolerates neutral–alkaline (calcareous) Adelaide soils; raise/mound on heavier clays to keep crowns dry in winter
• Water Needs: Establishment: 2 deep soaks/week for 8–12 weeks. Established: deep soak every 3–4 weeks in summer (weekly in heatwaves); minimal in winter
• Maintenance: Tip-prune lightly after flowering to keep dense and extend lifespan; avoid cutting into bare old wood. Mulch annually; feed in spring with a low-phosphorus native fertiliser only. If foliage pales on very alkaline sites, add organic matter and an occasional iron chelate
• Lifespan: 10–20+ years in well-drained positions
• Climate Zones: Temperate & Mediterranean SA—excellent on Adelaide Plains and second-line coastal; choose free-draining, frost-sheltered spots in the Hills
• Soil pH: Neutral to slightly alkaline (tolerates slightly acidic if well-drained)

Landscape & Design Ideas

• Low, water-wise carpet for rockeries and verges
• Retaining wall spill-over and path edging
• Under open eucalypts (dappled light) with lomandra/dianella for contrast
• Coastal native mixes with westringia and salt-tolerant grasses

Why You Will Love It

A neat, silver-green groundcover that bursts with winter–spring flowers, attracts birds, thrives on Adelaide heat and limey soils, and asks for almost no fuss beyond good drainage and a light prune.