Banks' grevillea
Grevillea banksii, family Proteaceae
A Queensland shrub with creamy or scarlet flowers and divided leaves
Banks' grevillea is a shrub or slender tree native to coastal Queensland, Australia. It bears cylindrical clusters of creamy-white to bright scarlet flowers from August to October and has deeply divided narrow leaves.
- Flowers from August to October in Australia
- Leaves divided into 4–12 narrow lobes
- Named after Sir Joseph Banks by Robert Brown in 1810
- Parent of popular hybrids like 'Robyn Gordon'
- Toxic: contains hydrogen cyanide in flowers and pods
What does Banks' grevillea look like?
Banks' grevillea grows as an upright shrub or slender tree between 2 and 10 metres tall. Its leaves split into four to twelve narrow lobes, each up to 18 cm long. The flowers form dense, cylindrical clusters at branch tips, ranging from creamy white to vivid scarlet, with long red styles that stand out.
Where does Banks' grevillea come from?
This plant is found only in Queensland, mainly along the coast between Ipswich and Yeppoon, often in flat woodland or forest. It was first described in 1810 by Robert Brown, who named it after Sir Joseph Banks. It has since been introduced to Hawaii and Madagascar.
When and how Banks' grevillea blooms
It blooms in late winter to spring, mainly August through October in Australia. It thrives in open woodland settings on level ground. Gardeners grow it for its showy flowers, and it serves as a parent for many popular grevillea hybrids.
How Banks' grevillea is used
Banks' grevillea is widely grown in gardens and used in ornamental planting. Several well-known grevillea cultivars, such as 'Robyn Gordon' and 'Moonlight', come from crosses involving this species. It is valued for its long flowering season and bird-attracting blooms.
Kinds of Banks' grevillea
It has contributed to numerous garden hybrids, including 'Superb', 'Misty Pink', 'Pink Surprise', and 'Ned Kelly'. These combine its flower form or colour with traits from other grevilleas for horticultural use.
What Banks' grevillea means
Though not tied to religious practice, it holds horticultural importance in Australia. In Madagascar, it was planted for erosion control but has become a woody weed. Its flowers and seed pods contain hydrogen cyanide, and it can cause skin irritation due to alkyl resorcinols.
Where Banks' grevillea is used and seen
Questions people ask about Banks' grevillea
Where does Banks' grevillea come from?
It is native to coastal Queensland, Australia, from Ipswich to Yeppoon, and grows in woodland and forest on flatter ground.
Is Banks' grevillea poisonous?
Yes, its flowers and seed pods contain toxic hydrogen cyanide, and it can cause contact dermatitis due to alkyl resorcinols.
What is Banks' grevillea used for?
It is widely cultivated in gardens and used to create popular grevillea hybrids such as 'Robyn Gordon' and 'Moonlight'.
When does it flower?
In its native Australia, it blooms from August to October, which is late winter through spring.
Has it spread outside Australia?
Yes, it was introduced to Hawaii and Madagascar, where it is now considered an invasive woody weed in parts of eastern Madagascar.
Good reading and sources
- IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesIUCN Red List, Article
- USDA Plants DatabaseUS Department of Agriculture, Article
- Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant database
- Where it has been recordedGBIF, Plant database
- Sightings and photos by naturalistsiNaturalist, Plant database
- Grevillea banksii on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Grevillea banksii", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. It is not medical or foraging advice: many flowers are poisonous, and traditional uses are reported, not recommended. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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