Grevillea rhizomatosa is a spreading shrub that exhibits multiple breeding strategies including self-compatibility, self-incompatibility and clonality (with and without sterility).Gross et al. compare genetic diversity among populations and find that somatic mutations contribute significantly to gene diversity in sterile populations, the accumulation of which is the likely cause of male and female sterility. They conclude that high levels of genetic diversity may therefore not always be synonymous with sexual fitness and genetic health, and hypothesize that frequent fires drive selection for clonal reproduction.