The leaves may be linear, oblong or elliptic and are generally between 0.5 and 2 centimetres (0.20 and 0.79 in) long and 1.5 to 4 millimetres (0.059 to 0.157 in) wide.

The main colour of the perianth may be red, orange or pink or more rarely yellow or cream.

There is often a transition of colour along the length of the perianth leading to commonly seen red-yellow or red-cream combinations.

[3] The species was first formally described in 1838 by English botanist John Lindley in Three expeditions into the interior of Australia.

This description was based on plant material collected from Mount William in the Grampians during Thomas Mitchell's expedition in 1836.

In The Grevillea Book published in 1995, the authors Peter Olde and Neil Marriott identified five informal forms: Naturally occurring hybrids have been recorded with G. lavandulacea.G.

The use of cuttings is the preferred method of propagation for assuring that particular forms and cultivars are true to type.

[10] In 2003, it was reported that the fungal disease Phytophthora palmivora had been detected in plant nurseries in Sicily, leading to root rot and death of potted Grevillea cultivars.

[11] A large number of hybrid cultivars and selected forms have been introduced to horticulture including: Numerous naturally occurring forms have been named after the locality from which they originate including Albury, Axedale, Bendigo, Black Mountain, Castlemaine, Chiltern, Grampians, Greta West, Kinglake, Lerderderg Gorge, Morrl Morrl, Mt Dandenong, Mt Ida, Mt Pleasant, Mt Slide, Mt Zero, Murphys Hill, One Tree Hill, Porcupine Ridge, Pyalong, Reef Hills, Rushworth, Seymour, South Mandurang, St Arnaud, Strathbogies, Tallarook, Tamminack Gap, Tawonga Gap, Tooborac, Warby Range, Whorouly and Wombat State Forest.