Silver oak ( Grevillea robusta)

The Silver Oak is actually called the ‘Silky Oak’ in Australia, the land of its origin, and is not really an oak at all! Tall, with a narrow, conical canopy and fern-like leaves with silvery undersides, the Silver Oak is mostly used in India as a shade tree in tea plantations. It also provides a support to climbing pepper plants in moist areas. The Silver Oak has curious-looking orange-yellow flowers without petals. The elongated stigmas are arranged on a stalk so that the flower looks like a fanciful wire brush!