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Silky Oak

Named in 1830 by explorer and botanist, Allan Cunningham. The genus name Grevillea honours Charles F Greville who co-founded the Royal Horticultural Society, and the species name robusta refers to its large size.

Evergreen tree usually grows 20 – 30 m tall but can range from 8 – 40 m in height.

Leaves

Silvery green and fern-like, green on the upper surface and paler underneath. They are 10 – 34 cm long and 9 – 15 cm wide, and consist of 11 – 31 segments that are narrow-elliptic to triangular in shape. The segments are 1.5 – 5 cm long and 2 – 10 mm wide, and they give the leaf a deeply divided appearance.

Flowers

Golden yellow to orange, each one is about 2 cm long but they are arranged in pairs along the flowering stalk to give an overall length of 12 – 15 cm.

Fruits/Seeds

A dark-brown, smooth seed pod, oval in shape and slightly flattened. It is about 2 cm long.

Field Guide

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  • Species Category: Plants
  • Species origin: Native
  • Conservation status: Common
  • Did You Know?
    • Sawdust from the Silky Oak, and sometimes its foliage, can cause contact dermatitis

  • What to Observe

    • First fully open single flower

    • Full flowering (record all days)

    • End of flowering (when 95% of the flowers have faded)

    • Not flowering

  • When and Where

    When To Look

    • From September through to January
    • Flowers appear in spring (mainly from September to November but later in cooler areas)
    • Mature seed pods appear in December and January

    Where To Look

    • On the coast and coastal ranges of southern Queensland and northern NSW, from Bundaberg south to Coffs Harbour, and to about 150 km inland
    • Grows in most areas along the east coast but needs shelter from the cold and frost when young
    • In subtropical to dry rainforests, forests with tall trees and fern-like ground cover, and sometimes along riverbanks and stream banks
    • It can also be found on higher slopes amongst conifer trees and vines

  • What Else?

    Similar Species

    The Silky Oak is a very distinct tree and unlikely to be confused with anything else.
  • Trails: Australian National Botanic Gardens ACT, Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Coot-tha QLD, Brisbane City Gardens QLD, Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens QLD, Kangaroo Valley PS NSW, Killalea State Park NSW, Kings Park & Botanic Garden WA, Monash University VIC, Rocky Creek Dam NSW, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne VIC, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney NSW, Serendip Sanctuary VIC, Sunshine Coast Kawana Forest QLD, University of Western Australia WA
  • Species Region: Australia