Grevillea 'Orange Wow'

Orange Wow Grevillea

Botanical Name: Grevillea hybrid ‘Orange Wow’
Family: Proteaceae
Origin: Australian hybrid cultivar
Plant Type: Evergreen native shrub

Overview

Grevillea ‘Orange Wow’ is a vibrant, compact native flowering shrub celebrated for its masses of glowing orange spider flowers and tidy, low-spreading habit. Exceptionally well suited to Adelaide and South Australian conditions, it thrives in heat, drought and free-draining soils, making it a standout for waterwise and native gardens.

Flowering heavily from late winter through spring and often sporadically through the rest of the year, ‘Orange Wow’ brings long-lasting colour and is highly attractive to nectar-feeding birds. Its neat, rounded shape makes it ideal for borders, low hedging and feature planting.

Key Features

• Mature Size: 0.8–1.2 m H × 1.2–1.8 m W
• Growth Rate: 20-40 cm per year under good conditions
• Foliage: Fine, divided leaves in mid-green to grey-green tones; evergreen with a soft, ferny texture
• Flowers: Bright orange spider flowers held above the foliage; late winter–spring with repeat flowering
  
• Fragrance: Not fragrant
• Seasonal Interest: Evergreen foliage with strong winter–spring flowering and intermittent blooms year-round
• Wildlife Value: Highly attractive to honeyeaters and other nectar-feeding birds, plus pollinating insects
• Tolerance: Excellent drought tolerance once established; Excellent heat tolerance; Good wind tolerance; Moderate coastal tolerance (second-line; not direct salt spray); Light frost tolerant; Requires free-draining soil; dislikes waterlogging
• Planting Density: Mass planting: 2–3 plants per m²; Low hedge/border: space 1–1.2 m apart
• Pet Friendly: Generally regarded as non-toxic

Where It Works Best

• Sunlight: Full sun for best flowering and compact growth
• Soil: Free-draining sandy, loam or gravelly soils; performs well in mildly alkaline and limestone-based SA soils
• Water Needs: Establishment: 2 deep soaks/week for 6–8 weeks. Established: deep soak every 10–14 days in summer; seldom in winter unless very dry
• Maintenance: Low maintenance; Light prune after flowering to maintain shape and density; Avoid phosphorus-rich fertilisers; use low-phosphorus native fertiliser sparingly if required
• Lifespan: Typically 15–25+ years in suitable conditions
• Climate Zones: Ideal for Mediterranean and temperate South Australia, including Adelaide Plains, Hills and coastal regions (sheltered)
• Soil pH: Neutral to alkaline preferred; tolerant of mildly acidic soils if well drained

Landscape & Design Ideas

• Low flowering border or informal hedge
• Feature shrub in native and bird-attracting gardens
• Water-wise and gravel garden designs
• Excellent with Correa, Westringia, Lomandra, Eremophila
• Suitable for slopes and embankments with good drainage

Why You Will Love It

Grevillea ‘Orange Wow’ delivers brilliant colour with classic native toughness. Compact, long-flowering and bird-attracting, it’s a reliable performer for Adelaide gardens seeking vibrant winter colour with minimal maintenance.