Grevillea robusta seed
LATIN NAME: Grevillea robusta
COMMON NAME: Silky Oak
Silky oak is the fast, handsome tree of the warm east coast, and it has been planted around the warm world for its fine, feathery foliage and its bright, showy flowers. The fern-like, silvery-green leaves give the crown a soft, lacy look, and the large, one-sided brushes of the orange-gold flowers open through the spring and the early summer. The tree is a rich nectar source, and the flowers pull in the birds and the bees from all around. It is a fast, generous tree of the warm, sunny, open ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
Silky oak has a steady place in the plant science, and the tree has been studied for its fast growth and its useful, attractive wood. The wood, which is strong, straight-grained and easy to work, has been looked at closely, and the tree keeps showing up in the work on the fast timber trees and the warm-climate forestry. The nectar-rich flowers have also drawn a line of the ecological research, since the tree is a fine food source for the birds and the bees. The breeding and the selection of the ornamental forms are documented in the horticultural journals, so the growing methods are reliable.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Silky oak is a tree of several uses. The strong, straight-grained wood is used for the furniture, the joinery and the veneers, and the tree has been planted for the timber, the shade and the quick shelter. The bright, nectar-rich flowers make it a fine tree for the bees and the nectar-feeding birds, and the fern-like foliage gives it a fine, ornamental presence. It has been written about in the forestry and the horticultural papers for its fast growth and its many uses, and it asks for the sun, the warmth and the well-drained soil. A generous, fast tree for the warm garden.
The silky oak is at home in the warm coastal forests of the east of the continent, and the fine, silky sheen of its wood gives the tree its common name. The wood is strong, straight-grained and beautifully figured, and it is used for the fine furniture, the veneers and the decorative work. The bright, orange-gold flower brushes are one of the great nectar sources of the warm season, and they pull in the birds, the bees and the butterflies from all around. It is a fast, generous tree that has been planted widely for the timber, the shade and the fine flowers.
To grow the silky oak from seed, sow the flat, papery seeds at a shallow depth in pots of gritty, free-draining soil, keep them in a warm, bright, sheltered spot and water gently. The seedlings are up within a couple of weeks and grow with real speed, so pot them on early and give the young trees the sun and plenty of room. They are not fussy about the soil as long as it drains well, and a warm, sunny, sheltered spot will soon carry a fast, feathery tree.
A tall straight tree growing to some 90 feet in the wild, but usually less (50-60 feet) in cultivation, the silky oak is a pyramidical tree with fern-like pinnate leaves golen to deep green above and silvery below and producing a profuse display of the highly distinctive and attractive golden to orange toothbrush type flowers up to 6 inches long in the Spring. This species is an excellent specimen tree for large gardens or parks. It makes a fine indoor plant while young. This species is fast-growing but can be brittle and damaged in high wind and may need staking and pruning to shape while young. This species is widely used as stock plant for grafting the more difficult species and for production of weeping standards.
