Greyia radlkoferi is a deciduous tree reaching 5m in height with an open canopy and gnarled stems and branches. Greyia radlkoferi grows in misty gullies along rivers in nature. Its scarlet flowers stand out as if painted on the landscape.
Its distribution in South Africa stretches from Limpopo Province in the North to KwaZulu-Natal in the South.
The branches of Greyia radlkoferi are light grey and smooth when young, becoming dark grey, fissured and very rough as the tree matures. Leaves are oval to heart-shaped, coarsely toothed and lobed at the base, sparsely hairy above and deeply woolly underneath. Flowers appear before or with new leaves from July to November. Each flower is 20 mm long, with deep red stamens projecting from the mouth of the petal tube, which is slightly narrowed at the base.
Greyia radlkoferi can be grow as a container plant as it can tolerate drier situations of containers on patios and paved areas. It is drought resistant but frost sensitive. The Transvaal bottlebrush is a must have in a wildlife garden as it attracts wide spectrum of nectar eating birds as well as bees. This tree always create a spectacular display when in flower, with the bare branches ending in compact bunches of scarlet flowers. It can also make a beautiful bonsai specimen.
Greyia radlkoferi prefers a well-drained soil and is not an easy garden subject. Keep it on the dry side.
You may find stock of this plant at Random Harvest.