Cloud bush (Grevillea paniculata) is one of the many shrubs native to Australia that are at home in West Coast gardens.
Like many shrubs from other countries and like a few natives of the Western states, cloud bushes usually flower in response to moisture. Except during its rest months, which on my hill are June and July, fragrant white flowers brought by November’s first rain continue to appear intermittently throughout the year.
The shrub is at its loveliest, however, during winter and early spring when it looks like a creamy cloud. The young shoots and short spurs left when the flowers drop to give the shrub a greenish-yellow cast, and the seed pods are pale yellow and dotted brown.
During Christmas
At Christmas, the flowers smother the dainty foliage. It is often used in Christmas bouquets for, though the flower clusters do not last long when cut, the foliage remains a joy for days.
When given a room, cloud bush reaches a breadth of 12′ feet or more and a height of 4′ feet. It can be grown as a ground cover by cutting out erect branches, encouraging spreading growth, but this pruning should be done in midsummer as the erect stems carry the most bloom.
Midsummer Cuttings
Midsummer is also the time to take cuttings. These should be the short upper side stems taken with a heel. Cloud bush comes easily from seeds grown in warm climates, and in Southern California it self-sows.
Give cloud bush the best drainage and light deep soil that is not too rich. Shrub grevilleas are seldom grown in the Northwest and are likely not to be hardy there.
44659 by Lester Rowntree