Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon'

I live in northern Los Angeles county and have had one Robyn Gordon since 2001 and the other one since about 2003. They both have been th...Read Moreriving in a mostly sunny location. They are planted in several feet of supplemental soil layered on top of the clay soil we have in our yard. We feed the plants Super Thrive regularly. They are no longer sold locally due to mite issues. We have not had those issues.

Our two plants are healthy, productive and easy to care for. They bloom most of the year except for the coldest months (Jan & Feb here). The birds (particularly hummingbirds) and the bees love them. The flowers are huge and showy and the leaves are lovely.

Phosphorous could be a problem with these plants. Most Australian Natives need low phosphorous to thrive as Australian soil generally on...Read Morely contains very hard, slow release deposits.

I have not grown this plant. 'Robyn Gordon' grevillea is a natural hybrid between Grevillea banksii which grows on the east coast of Aust...Read Moreralia and Grevillea bipinnatifida from Western Australia. David Gordon (1899-2001), founder of Myall Park Botanic Garden in Glenmorgan, Queensland, Australia was an amateur botanist. He grew in close proximity closely related grevilleas plants from widely different geographic areas so flowers could be cross-pollinated by wind and birds hoping for natural hybridization to occur. In the early 1960s, he found a new grevillea types of grevilleas plants growing with others he had planted. These hybrids were named after his 3 daughters: Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon' (Robyn died at the age of 16 from cancer), Grevillea 'Merinda Gordon' and Grevillea 'Sandra Gordon'.

'Robyn Gordon' grevillea was the first plant registered by the Australian Cultivar Registration Authority. Due to the fact that David Gordon had donated plant material to nurseries and friends, plant varietal rights could not be pursued. Because of this, Myall Park Botanic Garden as well as the Gordon family have never benefited monetarily from plant sales of . The plant has never set seed because the cultivar produces negligible amounts of pollen and all propagation has been by vegetative cuttings, tissue culture and grafts. First distributed in March,1968 to several nurserymen, all 'Robyn Gordon' grevillea now available are progeny from these originial cuttings. In Australia, It is the most popular native plant grown probably because it is a beautiful plant and because it flowers prolifically and almost continuously. It is well known and grown internationally. The original 'Robyn Gordon’ and 'Merinda Gordon' grevillea are still growing at Myall Park Botanic Garden.

Great plant of So CAl, but doesn't like clay, acid soils that much. I have had bad luck with all Grevilleas I think due to my soil, but ...Read MoreI have seen them do great in lots of yards in other soil areas. This plant is user-friendly, low growing, and flowers all year round. Also does great on hardly any water.