The flowers are greyish-green to silvery on the outside, the inside and the style bright orange-yellow or reddish, the pistil 23–36 mm (0.91–1.42 in) long.

[2][3] Plants from Queensland are non-lignotuberous shrubs to small trees with smooth bark and lighter inflorescences than other forms.

Plants from Western Australia and the Northern Territory grow as a rough-barked lignotuberous shrub to small tree.

[6][7] The following year Robert Brown gave it the name Grevillea chrysodendron in his work Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.

[4] Golden grevillea grows readily in warm climates, generally preferring extra water in summer and well-drained soils.

[13] The leaves were used as stuffing and as a herb when cooking emu by the Aborigines on Groote Eylandt, and used by early settlers to stuff pillows.