Plant in full sun and water occasionally to infrequently. Will tolerate some alkalinity but requires a well-drained soil. Hardy to 28 degrees F. This Grevillea flowers on older wood so avoid cutting back in summer months.

Grevillea 'Magic Lantern' was long thought to be a selection of Grevillea thelemanniana ssp. hirtella and has also known as Grevillea 'Gilded Dragon' but most recent treatment has determined that this plant is Grevillea preissii ssp. glabrilimba, a plant native to a restricted area near coastal Cervantes in Western Australia where it grows in shallow calcareous sand. The climate there is hot and dry in the summer and cool and moist in winter with an average rainfall of 18 inches, much like coastal California.

The genus name Grevillea honors Charles Francis Greville (1749-1809), a patron of botany, a very close friend of Sir Joseph Banks, and president of the Royal Society of London. We first received this plant from Luen Miller at Monterey Bay Nursery and have grown and sold it since 1998. 

The information about Grevillea 'Magic Lantern' that is displayed on this web page is based on research conducted in our nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We will also include observations made about this plant as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We also incorporate comments that we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they share cultural information that aids others growing this plant.

Please note that after 46 years in business, San Marcos Growers will be discontinuing nursery operations by the end of 2025 and the property will be developed for affordable housing.