White grevillea, Silver oak
Grevillea parallela

Family: Proteaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 3-15 m tall. The bark is dark, hard and cracked. The leaves hang downwards. The leaves are alternate ad long and thin. They can be 10-40 cm long by 2-10 mm wide. They are narrow and taper to the base. They are dull green above and have white silky hairs underneath. The flowers are white to cream and waxy in crowded clusters. The clusters are 5-10 cm long and the flowers are in pairs along the cluster. The fruit are dry and woody. They are almost round and 2-2.5 cm long by 1.5 cm wide. They split open along the seeds releasing 2 seeds with broad wings.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in a range of soils.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia (country/location of origin)

How it is used for food

Nectar can be sucked from the flowers.

Edible parts

Flower nectar

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds. The seed coat needs to be peeled off or soaked in hot but not boiling water. It can be grown from cuttings treated with rooting hormone.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Grevillea angustata R. Br.; Grevillea ceratophylla R. Br.; Grevillea heteroneura W. Fitzg.; Grevillea mullerana H. Buek; Grevillea polystachya R. Br.;