Spider flowers (Grevillea) fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are spider flowers?

Spider flowers are native Australian shrubs in the genus Grevillea. They belong to the Proteaceae family, the same plant family as banksias and waratahs. Many spider flowers have tough narrow leaves and clusters of curled flower styles that give the flowers a spidery shape.

Several spider flowers grow in the Sydney region, including pink spider flower, grey spider flower, red spider flower and white spider flower. They are important shrubs in sandstone bushland because their nectar-rich flowers feed insects and birds, while their branches and leaves add shelter and structure to the shrub layer.

A pink spider flower.

Pink spider flower flowers have curled styles that give a spider shape.

Where do spider flowers grow?

Spider flowers grow naturally in dry sclerophyll forest, woodland and heath. In the Sydney region they are especially associated with sandy, well-drained soils over sandstone. These soils can be dry and low in nutrients, but spider flowers have adaptations that help them survive.

Pink spider flower grows from southern Sydney to near Newcastle and west to the Blue Mountains area. Grey spider flower grows in dry sclerophyll woodland and heath, usually in sandy soils. Red spider flower grows in moister parts of dry sclerophyll forest and heath on sandstone from the Central Coast south to Port Jackson. White spider flower grows in dry sclerophyll forest and heath, including parts of the Greater Sydney Basin.

Grey spider flower is a dense shrub found in eucalypt forests, heath and woodlands.

How are spider flowers used by Aboriginal Peoples?

Some Aboriginal Peoples in different parts of Australia used grevillea flowers for their sweet nectar. The flowers could be sucked directly, tapped onto the hand or soaked in water to make a sweet drink.

These uses are recorded for some grevilleas in some places, but they should not be treated as the same for all Aboriginal Peoples or all spider flower species. No specific Darug use for Sydney spider flowers was verified for this fact sheet. Cultural knowledge belongs to Aboriginal communities, so students should observe spider flowers without picking them and learn about local plant knowledge from appropriate Aboriginal community sources where possible.

Red spider flower has dome-shaped clusters that attract nectar feeders.

What animals use spider flowers?

Spider flowers provide nectar and pollen for many animals. Native bees, butterflies, beetles, flies and other insects may visit the flowers, while honeyeaters such as eastern spinebills and red wattlebirds feed from nectar-rich grevillea flowers.

Animals also use spider flowers in other ways. Dense shrubs can provide shelter, perches, hunting places and web attachment sites for small birds, spiders and other invertebrates. When spider flowers grow with other native shrubs, they help form the middle layer of bushland habitat between the tree canopy and the ground layer.

Invertebrates such as butterflies feed on spider flower nectar and help move pollen between flowers.

What is the life cycle of spider flowers?

Spider flowers grow from seeds. Mature plants produce flower clusters that are visited by insects and nectar-feeding birds. As animals move between flowers, pollen can be transferred from one flower to another, allowing fertilisation to occur.

After flowering, spider flowers produce dry fruits called follicles. When a follicle matures it splits open and releases one or two seeds. New seedlings grow when seeds reach suitable soil and conditions are right. Many grevilleas regenerate from seed after fire, and some species can also produce coppicing shoots.

Grevillea fruits are dry follicles that split open to release one or two seeds.

What adaptations do spider flowers have to help them survive?

Spider flowers are adapted to dry, nutrient-poor bushland. Their tough narrow leaves can reduce water loss, and some species have silky or hairy leaf surfaces that help protect the plant from drying conditions. Their specialised roots help them absorb nutrients from poor sandy soils.

Their flowers are also well adapted for pollination. The curled styles help position pollen where visiting animals may brush against it. Dry follicles protect developing seeds, and fire can create open, sunny conditions where new seedlings may grow after competition from surrounding plants is reduced.

White spider flower has narrow leaves and pale flower clusters.

Why are spider flowers important?

Spider flowers are important food plants in Sydney bushland. Their nectar and pollen support insects and nectar-feeding birds, and these animals can help pollinate the flowers as they move through the shrub layer.

Spider flowers also help build healthy bushland structure. As native shrubs, they provide shelter for small animals, help protect sandy soil from erosion and add leaves, twigs and flowers to the forest floor. This fallen plant material becomes part of the leaf litter layer, where decomposers recycle nutrients back into the soil.

Spider flowers grow naturally in Field of Mars Reserve and other Sydney sandstone bushland.

How can you help spider flowers?

You can help spider flowers by staying on walking tracks, observing plants without picking flowers or leaves, and leaving seed pods, branches and leaf litter in place for wildlife. Taking photos or making field sketches is a good way to learn about local plants without damaging them.

Protect bushland by keeping dogs on leads where required, cleaning shoes and equipment after walking through weedy areas, and joining local bushcare activities. In gardens near Sydney sandstone bushland, choose locally appropriate native plants from reputable nurseries rather than collecting seeds, cuttings or flowers from reserves.

Staying on tracks helps protect spider flowers and other native bushland plants.

Related fact sheets

More plant fact sheets

• Plant fact sheets – Explore more native plant fact sheets from Field of Mars EEC.
• Old man banksia fact sheet – Compare another Proteaceae plant that provides nectar, pollen and habitat.
• Hairpin banksia fact sheet – Learn about another local flowering shrub in the Proteaceae family.
• Kunzea fact sheet – Explore another Sydney shrub that supports insects and birds.
• Scribbly gum fact sheet – Learn about a eucalypt that grows in Sydney sandstone bushland.

Habitats and ecosystems

• Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet – Explore the local bushland where spider flowers and other native plants grow.
• Eucalypt forest fact sheet – Learn about the forest ecosystem that supports spider flowers.
• Shrub habitats fact sheet – Find out how shrubs provide nectar, shelter and hunting places.
• Leaf litter habitats fact sheet – Learn how fallen plant material creates habitat and recycles nutrients.

Animals that use this habitat

• Birds fact sheet – Learn how birds use flowers, seeds, shrubs and trees.
• Eastern spinebill fact sheet – A small honeyeater that feeds from grevilleas and other flowering shrubs.
• Red wattlebird fact sheet – A large honeyeater that visits nectar-rich flowers.
• Butterfly fact sheet – Discover insects that visit flowers for nectar.

Food webs and ecological relationships

• Insects fact sheet – Learn about pollinators, herbivores and other invertebrates that use native plants.
• Blue-banded bee fact sheet – Learn about native bees that visit flowers for nectar and pollen.
• Stingless bee fact sheet – Explore small social native bees that help pollinate flowering plants.

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