Science & nature
Winter wonder: Red Spider-flower grevillea blooming in the Illawarra

Winter has sprung, with the appearance of flowers on the striking Red Spider-flower (Grevillea oleoides)!

European cultural traditions suggest that flowers mostly come out in spring, with a strong annual pattern, and that's all well and good. But so many Australian plants, including many from the Illawarra region, flower at other times of the year.

Red Spider-flower growing on a lean to make the most of northerly sun. Photo: Emma Rooksby.

This is an Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris), in another species of the plateau, Mountain Devil (Lambertia formosa). I definitely do not recommend trying to grow this plant unless you're on Hawkesbury Sandstone up at Helensburgh or similar, as it has a low survival rate on clay soils. Photo: Keith Horton.  

Want to see more local grevilleas? Check out this sneak peek at Bulli beauties ahead of Illawarra Grevillea Park Botanic Garden spring open days on the first two weekends of September.

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