If you are visiting the State War Memorial in Kings Park for the ANZAC Day celebrations, you will see that the Cenotaph is surrounded by a beautiful red-flowering shrub. This is the Grevillea ‘RSL Spirit of ANZAC’ that was released in 2015 to honour 100 years of the ANZAC spirit.

In 2013 the Returned and Services League of Western Australian (RSLWA) approached the Kings Park plant breeding team in search of a suitable commemorative plant for the centenary celebrations. This special grevillea was developed to commemorate the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces at Gallipoli, and other conflicts since then. Its bright red colour symbolises the blood that was shed during these conflicts.

The parent species of this hybrid come from some of the most inhospitable places across Australia and remind us that the ANZACs came from all walks of life and fought in incredibly hostile conditions.

The Grevillea ‘RSL Spirit of ANZAC’ is a hardy, bird-attracting shrub with stunning large red flowers from autumn to summer. It is suitable for most Australian climates. It thrives in well-drained soils and is drought tolerant. It puts on a beautiful display, particularly around autumn when ANZAC Day is celebrated.

If you would like to know more about the memorials in Kings Park, see our friendly Guides in the Visitor Information Centre and ask for the ‘Self Guided Memorials Walk’ trail leaflet or join a Guided walk. There is also a map of all the memorials in Kings Park available here.