Silver Oak - 10" Grow bag

Silver Oak (Grevillea robusta) is a tall, erect, fast-growing tree from Australia, widely planted in India as a shade tree on coffee and tea estates and along roads. Its fine, fern-like grey-green leaves are silvery beneath, giving the tree its name, and in spring it produces showy one-sided golden-orange flower combs rich in nectar that attract birds and bees. The straight trunk yields useful timber. Adaptable and hardy, it thrives in cooler hill regions and well-drained plains, though its surface roots and brittle wood call for careful siting.

Specifications

Care guide

Uses

Grown as a shade tree on tea and coffee plantations, as a fast windbreak and avenue tree, and for soft timber; its nectar-rich flowers support birds and bees.

Growing tips

Plant in well-drained soil in full sun and avoid phosphorus-rich fertilizers, to which Proteaceae are sensitive. It performs especially well in India's cooler hill stations and plateaus.