Pink Spider Flower

Grevillea sericea is a shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.5–2 m (1 ft 8 in – 6 ft 7 in) with angular, ridged, silky-hairy branchlets. The leaves are 25–120 mm (0.98–4.72 in) long and 2–9 mm (0.079–0.354 in) wide, the size and shape depending on subspecies. The flowers are pink, deep purplish pink, rarely white or reddish, and arranged in clusters, more or less on one side of a rachis 15–60 mm (0.59–2.36 in) long, the pistil 14–19 mm (0.55–0.75 in) long. Flowering mainly occurs from August to December, and the fruit is a glabrous, narrowly oval to elliptic follicle 9–16 mm (0.35–0.63 in) long.

Pink spider flower is widespread in New South Wales, and grows in woodland and open forest from near Toronto and Wyee south to near Heathcote, and inland to near Mudgee. Subspecies riparia has a more restricted distribution, growing near permanent streams mainly near the escarpment of the Blue Mountains, along the Grose and Colo Rivers and Glenbrook Creek.

This species is commonly cultivated as an ornamental shrub for its compact, bushy habit and prolific, numerous flowers which occur in various shades of pink and white. The flowers are attractive to native bees and European honey bees. It grows best in full sun to semi-shade on well-drained, slightly acidic sandy loam soils in a warm temperate climate. It is tolerant of drought and mild frost. It can be propagated through cuttings or germinated from seed. The cultivar 'Collaroy Plateau' is a hybrid of G. sericea ssp. sericea and G. speciosa.