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Grevillea robusta
Also called Silky Oak, Australian Silky Oak, Silkoak, Silk Oak, Silver Oak, Australian Silver Oak
A fast-growing evergreen tree from eastern Australia, grown for its deeply divided fern-like leaves and orange flowers. It needs full sun and warmth, and protection from frost while young.
Grevillea robusta, commonly known as the southern silky oak, silk oak or silky oak, silver oak or Australian silver oak, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a tree with deeply dissected, divided leaves, golden yellow to orange flowers with red blotches and flattened, elliptic to oval fruit.
When young, it can be grown as a houseplant where it can tolerate light shade, but it prefers full sun because it grows best in warm zones. If planted outside, young trees need protection on frosty nights. Once established, it is hardier and tolerates temperatures down to −8 °C (18 °F). It needs occasional water but is otherwise fairly drought-resistant. Care needs to be taken when planting it near bushland because it can be invasive.
G. robusta is often used as stock for grafting difficult-to-grow grevilleas. It has been planted widely throughout the city of Kunming in south-western China, forming shady avenues.
The flowers and fruit contain toxic hydrogen cyanide. Tridecylresorcinol in G. robusta is responsible for contact dermatitis.
Silky oak occurs naturally on the coast and ranges in southern Queensland and in New South Wales as far south as Coffs Harbour where it grows in subtropical rainforest, dry rainforest and wet forests. It is now relatively rare in its natural habitat but has been widely planted. It has become naturalised in many places, including on Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island and the Atherton Tableland in Australia, and overseas in South Africa, New Zealand, Hawaii, French Polynesia, Jamaica and Florida. It is regarded as a weed in parts of New South Wales and Victoria, and as invasive in Hawaii and South Africa.
Before the advent of aluminium, Grevillea robusta timber was widely used for external window joinery, as it is resistant to wood rot. It has been used in the manufacture of furniture, cabinetry, and fences. Owing to declining G. robusta populations, felling has been restricted.
Grevillea aspleniifolia · Grevillea baileyana · Kahiliflower · Grevillea baueri · Fuchsia grevillea · Golden Grevillea · Grevillea curviloba · Grevillea ×gaudichaudii · Grevillea glossadenia · Spreading Grevillea · Grevillea iaspicula · Juniper Leaf Grevillea
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Grevillea robusta by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
