Spider flowers are a genus of about 360 species of evergreen flowering plants in the Proteaceae family. Most of them are native to Australia but a few are found in New Guinea and New Caledonia. They vary greatly from being trees to erect shrubs to cascading in form. They are evergreen plants that appreciate warm temperatures and long growing seasons. Most varieties will not survive freezing temperatures. but a few tolerate some cold such as G. victoriae and have been grown on the Pacific coast of CA and OR. The genus was named in honor of Charles Frances Greville, an 18th-century patron of botany and co-founder of the Royal Horticultural Society. The leaves can be either simple or compound and alternate on the stem with either a needle-like or fern-like appearance and stay attractive all year. The flowers can be small to spectacular and most have nectar that attracts hummingbirds and pollinators. The flowers are petal-less, but the narrow calyx tube produces long styles that are typically brightly colored. Most of these plants require acidic well-drained soils low in phosphorus. Do not use a fertilizer with phosphorus in it. They need full to partial sun and most are drought-tolerant. In NC grow them in containers so they can be moved inside when temperatures approach freezing. They can be grown as a houseplant in a spot with bright light or in a greenhouse or atrium-type setting. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Handle with care - skin irritation can be severe.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheLantana camara 'Miss Huff'Nerium oleanderPelargonium x hybridum
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Poisonous
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
12 inches-3 feet; 3 feet-6 feet
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
Fern-like to needle-like leaves can be either simple or compound and are alternate on the stem. They stay attractive year-round and vary in size per species.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Orange; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut; Long-lasting; Showy
Flower form
Spike
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower detail
Flowers are arranged in a terminal cluster, tubular shaped and may be white, red, yellow, or orange. They can be small spider-like or large toothbrush shaped with a large caylx covered with protruding filaments on one side and no petals. Most have a long bloom season
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer; Winter
Fruit type
Follicle
Fruit detail
A follicle that spits down 1 side releasing 1-2 seeds.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Central Malesia to New Guinea, New Caledonia, Australia