Although November is probably the nadir for plants in bloom within UBC Botanical Garden, flowers aren't entirely absent. Between the collections in the Winter Garden and the Alpine Garden in particular, there are easily over a hundred different species in flower, including this plant from southeastern Australia, the royal grevillea.
This individual plant was propagated from a successful larger plant (photographed here), which has since been removed for being too successful. I think that's the reason, anyway – maybe Brent Hine will chime in on the comments.
Grevillea victoriae attracts both hummingbirds and bees as pollinators, similar to another member from the family Proteaceae featured previously on BPotD, the South American Embothrium coccineum. Whenever you see members of the same plant family having representatives in both South America and Australia, it should spark your biogeographical curiousity. Indeed, a further examination of the family reveals a distribution throughout the Southern Hemisphere, suggesting that the origins of the family date back to the time (and place) of the Gondwana supercontinent roughly 130 million years ago. This assertion is bolstered by the fact that molecular and fossil evidence combined suggest an origin 119 to 110 mya (Anderson, C.L., Bremer, K., & Friis, E.M. 2005. Dating phylogenetically basal eudicots using rbcL sequences and multiple fossil reference points. American J. Bot. 92: 1737-1748. + abstract).
Botany / conservation resource link: The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources has started a Top 50 Plants Campaign, a series highlighting plant species of concern in various regions around the world. The first in the series focuses on the Top 50 Mediterranean Island Plants. “Written in simple, non-technical language, these profiles should interest policy makers, the media and general public. Each profile, illustrated with a photograph or drawing, includes a description of the plant as well as information on conservation status, distribution, habitat and ecology, economic and cultural value, threats, reasons for decline, conservation actions in place, and actions needed to help save the species.” Discovered via the always-excellent Scott's Botanical Links.
Grevillea victoriae - Z9, RHS Index of Garden Plants, Griffiths
Wow.
Obviously not strictly a USDA 9 item as it is growing at UBC. One in the Vashon Botanical Garden of Colvos Creek nursery, near Seattle (USDA 8) may be 3m high by now; several plants from same source planted here in Edmonds are now reaching above the first-storey gutter in places after several years of growth.
RHS Index is a condensation of error-ridden* last edition of RHS Dictionary, so continued posting of bits from it here was bound to lead to a wrong/questionable one eventually.
*One reader was said to find over 800 in one viewing
The above comment of this plant now reaching "above a first story gutter.." is interesting, as this plant doesn't grow more than 3 metres, or about 10 feet in nature, meaning it has probably reached its mature height. One other curious point about this plant. Most southern hemisphere plants, like northern ones, bloom in response to long days and warmth (ie. summer), just as does G. victoriae. However, after residing here for some time, this plant remains true to its southern hemisphere calendar, blooming anytime from September until the following May, with peaks around November and February. It isn't unusual to see flowers fully out with snow piled on top of them. In Australia (even in the mountains) this sight would be a very strange sight indeed!
They're still actively gaining height. Sometimes surviving wild population of a plant will be living under environmental constraints that cultivated specimens are not subjected to. Another southern hemisphere example would be certain gums that are dwarfed by subalpine conditions in the wild, have grown tall in cultivation elsewhere.
Sunset WESTERN GARDEN BOOK says the Grevillea is "Variable in size; the form most commonly seen is 6 ft. or taller and as wide..."
Friends
Will it grow and survive in zone 4 in New York State?
Thank you
Ed Pell
Afraid not, Edwin, sorry.
How about in the foothills of Washington State's Cascade Mountains - altitude is 750 ft. above sea level?
I'm interested in this plant as well, but worried it would not survive zone 7a (Sunset zone 4)in Woodinville WA. Thoughts?
It'd be worth a try, I think, if an inexpensive plant could be found.
I am interested in the Grevillea victoriae as I had a beautiful one in my garden in Seattle. I'm wondering if it is deer resistant? We are on the "grazing path" here on Whidbey Island and plants listed as deer proof/resistant are often eaten to a nub, nibbled on or stripped of leaves.
we have been growning G. victoriae in our Queenstown New Zealand garden for some years now. they attract the bell birds and tui birds especially during the winter months when food is in very short supply. wonderful to wake to the sound of these native birds. i also feed them sugar and water during the winter months. last season and pair nested in one of our Grevillia victoriae tree. all very exciting and hope this happens again in a few weeks time.
I live on Vashon Island in Puget Sound and have a Grevillea Victoriae that's about three years old and five feet tall, bushy and lush.
Here's what I love about it:
1. foilage is always perfect, healthy and pest free
2. deer don't seem to like it, only once was there a little munching and then never again and trust me I have herds of deer roaming my property.
3. amazingly drought tolerant, I rarely water it.
4. withstood our two weeks of 20-30 F degree weather last winter with no damage (though that cold snap killed my grevillea "canberra gem")
5. It's beautiful and blooms late when nothing else is in bloom. I'm a huge fan and got mine at Colvos Creek Nursery on Vashon: http://www.colvoscreeknursery.com/index.html
I just posted some photos of my Grevillea Victoriae, (in Seattle area) as happy and healthy as ever and ignored by deer and rarely watered. Love this plant!
Grevillea Victoriae: http://www.tallcloverfarm.com/royal-grevillea-garden-dynamo-from-down-under/