Grevillea 'Canberra Gem'

A bold and unusual Australian evergreen with dazzling blooms and architectural foliage.

Grevillea 'Canberra Gem', a hybrid between Grevillea juniperina and Grevillea rosmarinifolia, is a standout evergreen shrub from Australia that brings fine texture, vivid color, and a touch of the exotic to adventurous gardens. With its narrow, needle-like foliage, this striking plant is often mistaken for a conifer—but come late winter through spring, it reveals its true identity in a profusion of unique, rose-red spider-like flowers that spill from its branches and catch the eye from across the garden.

Well-loved by plant enthusiasts and celebrated by figures like Christopher Lloyd in Color for Adventurous Gardeners, this cultivar remains surprisingly underutilized, especially in the U.S. landscape. Garden writer Helen Johnstone of the Hardy Plant Society remarked on the shrub’s rarity in cultivation and praised it as both a statement plant and a conversation piece, ideal for gardeners seeking something “slightly unusual” with serious visual impact.

'Canberra Gem' prefers a sunny location and well-drained, neutral to acidic soil, making it an excellent fit for Mediterranean-style gardens, gravel beds, and dry borders. It is also among the hardier Grevilleas, tolerating temperatures down to the mid-20s °F once established, especially in sheltered sites with good drainage.

Aside from its beauty, this Grevillea is low-maintenance, deer-resistant, and beloved by pollinators—particularly hummingbirds and bees drawn to its nectar-rich blooms.

Origin: Australia; hybrid selection
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Preference: Well-drained, neutral to acidic soil
Height & Spread: 4–6 feet tall and wide (can be larger in ideal conditions)
Foliage: Evergreen, fine-textured, needle-like leaves; conifer-like appearance
Bloom Time: Late winter through spring
Flower Color: Rose-red, spider-like, very showy
Hardiness Zones: 8–10 (tolerant to ~20°F in protected locations)
Notable Traits: Evergreen, drought-tolerant, pollinator-friendly, architectural form, rarely browsed by deer
Garden Uses: Specimen shrub, dry borders, rock gardens, coastal gardens, wildlife gardens