Nearly all Grevilleas can be classified as Drought Tolerant Plants but some are even more Drought Tolerant than the rest.

Grevilleas have long had a reputation as being drought tolerant plants. Mostly all the 300 plus species are native to Australia which is a continent well known as one of the driest continents on the planet. It’s little wonder that most Grevilleas have evolved to survive on a minimal amount of water.

In these times when certain areas around the world are receiving less and less rainfall never has it been more important to look towards drought tolerant plants as the solution for home gardens as well as public landscaping. The grevillea of course is one plant that more than qualifies as a tough drought tolerant plant for the home garden.

Grevilleas come in many shapes and sizes from prostrate ground covers to tall trees. They also have a large variation in flower form, colour and leaf shape so if you wanted, it would be very easy to just fill your garden with grevilleas and never have two that look the same.

Over the years I’ve grown many Grevilleas in my garden and have found several that have shown to be very drought tolerant plants indeed. Here are some examples of Grevilleas that I’ve grown over the years that have not only survived in dry conditions but have actually grown and flowered as during dry conditions. I’d actually not describe these as “drought tolerant plants” but maybe more as “drought resistant plants”. This to me is the real test!

Grevillea Flora Mason flower

Grevillea Flora Mason is a hybrid that I planted about 8 years ago during autumn. It was planted between a Callistemon salignus and a Banksia Integrifolia, two trees that have very efficient root systems that will take as much moisture out of the soil as they possibly can to survive. Just over the fence in the property next door there was a hedge of Callistemons growing so I couldn’t have found a drier piece of ground to plant it in. Within two years the small 20cm Grevillea had grown into a 2m round shrub and flowered in its second winter and all with practically no water at all.

Grevillea Obtusifolia

Grevillea Obtusifolia “Gingin Gem” is a prostrate grevillea that doesn’t flower very often but grows into a thick ground cover that can be tip pruned from time to time to form a quite an attractive mat that is great for suppressing weeds.

Grevillea Synapheae

Grevillea Synapheae is one that is best grown a raised garden bed as it likes to have very good drainage. The one I had growing in my garden only lasted 6 years but every winter it put on the most spectacular display of small creamy yellow flowers. It was never watered and when it did receive some rain the water quickly drained away due to fact that it was planted right next to a retaining wall.

Grevillea Thelemanniana is another small Grevillea that I’ve grown and has displayed some pretty impressive survival skills.

The above three Grevilleas Obtusifolia, Synapheae and Thelemanniana were all grown in close vicinity to each other all in a very dry shady area.

Grevillea Winpara Gem is another hybrid. It has bright red spider type flowers that come out during winter. The one that I have in my garden at the moment is surrounded by other fast growing plants and despite the fierce competition for any moisture that may be in the ground it has still managed to grow to about 1.5 metres in the last two years. It’s growing in my current garden in an area where the soil is mainly just sandy loam so it hasn’t really been exposed to the soil with the phosphorus in it yet so it’s a bit hard to judge its phosphorus tolerance at this stage.

These five Grevilleas are only just a few of the hundreds of drought tolerant grevilleas that are available but I mention these here today because each of these are a Grevillea that I’ve grown myself and have seemed to not only survive from a lack of water but actually appear to have flourished in these conditions. I’d say these Grevilleas as more than drought tolerant, they’re drought resistant.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Grevillea "Pink Ice"
• Grevillea Petrophiloides
• Grevillea Rosmarinifolia
• Silky Oak, what you really need to know
• Grevillea Robusta, an alternative way to grow.