It is a native of eastern coastal Australia, growing in riverine, subtropical and dry rainforest environments.

Grevillea robusta is a fast-growing evergreen tree with a single main trunk, growing to 5–40 m (20–100 ft) tall.

[2][3] Grevillea robusta was first formally described in 1830 by Robert Brown after an unpublished description by Allan Cunningham.

[5][6] The specific epithet (robusta) is a Latin word meaning "strong like oak" or "robust".

[1][2][8] Before the advent of aluminium, Grevillea robusta timber was widely used for external window joinery, as it is resistant to wood rot.

[4] When young, it can be grown as a houseplant where it can tolerate light shade, but it prefers full sun because it grows best in warm zones.

It has been planted widely throughout the city of Kunming in south-western China, forming shady avenues.