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Grevillea 'Mason's Hybrid' (Ned Kelly Grevillea) - A medium large evergreen spreading shrub to 5 to 6 feet tall by 8 to 10 feet wide with attractive fine textured narrowly lobed leaves that are a dark green above and lighter below. Year round, but heaviest winter through spring appear the 5-inch-long racemes bearing whitish buds at stem tips that open to exotic looking 6 inch long apricot and red flowers.
Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and irrigate infrequently. Cold hardy to short duration temperatures down to 25° F and tolerant of windy conditions and drought. This wonderfully attractive plant is attractive to hummingbirds but resistant to predation by rabbits and deer. Can be used as a low hedge of planted as a single specimen.
Grevillea 'Mason's Hybrid' is a cross between Grevillea banksii and an upright form Grevillea bipinnatifida that originated at New South Wales Australian Plant Nursery in Kentlyn, New South Wales in the 1970s and was registered with the Australian Cultivar Registration Authority (ACRA) as Grevillea 'Mason's Hybrid' by Mr J.B. Mason in 1980. It has also been marketed under the names 'Ned Kelly' and 'Kentlyn' with the 'Ned Kelly' moniker, named for a famous Australian highwayman (outlaw), becoming the name it is most often listed as, but since 'Mason's Hybrid' is the name filed with the ACRA, and is therefore its valid name, we list it as such. It is very similar to the cultivar 'Superb', which has lavender colored buds and yellow style tips. Grevilleas with this parentage (sometimes called the Robyn Gordon Group) have foliage that can be irritating to the skin of some people, so is best set plants back a bit from pathways. We received this plant mixed in with purchased in plants of another variety and we thank Jo O'Connell of Australian Plant Nursery and Luen Miller of Monterey Bay Nursery for helping us sort out the name on this very nice plant.
The information about Grevillea 'Mason’s Hybrid' displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |
