Plant family: Proteaceae
Genus: Banksia
170 species of banksia.
Distinctive flowers and seed cones.
Mainly found in sclerophyll forest and shrubland.
Big producers of nectar. Important food for birds, animals and insects.
Important to nurseries as a cut flower.
Normally a woody shrub. Can be a tree or a prostrate species.
Leaves: normally large and serrated.
Flowers: a flower spike contains hundreds of single flowers. A few will develop fruit which is part of the cone.
A follicle contains the seeds. Most follicles open after bushfire and release a spinning papery seed.
Sir Joseph Banks was a naturalist with Captain Cook in 1770. Banks collected thousands of plants which were taken back to England.
All banksia are endemic to Australia. Except one.
Very popular garden plant due to shrub size and showy flowers.
1918: May Gibbs wrote a series of books called “Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.” Big bad Banksia men were the arch enemy and trouble makers in the books.
Banksia Marginata: Silver Banksia: Honeysuckle
Only one banksia is native to this area. Unmistakable appearance. Height from 1-10m. Width up to 5m.
Beautiful large cylindrical yellow flowers from summer to autumn. Full of nectar.
Location: coastal, sub-alpine and grasslands.
Size: from prostrate shrub to 5-10 m. tree.
Leaves: white underneath. The leaves are 5/6 cm long, 1 cm wide, wedge shaped with a broad wide end.
Cones: 10 cm long and 5 cm wide.
Genus: Banksia
170 species of banksia.
Distinctive flowers and seed cones.
Mainly found in sclerophyll forest and shrubland.
Big producers of nectar. Important food for birds, animals and insects.
Important to nurseries as a cut flower.
Normally a woody shrub. Can be a tree or a prostrate species.
Leaves: normally large and serrated.
Flowers: a flower spike contains hundreds of single flowers. A few will develop fruit which is part of the cone.
A follicle contains the seeds. Most follicles open after bushfire and release a spinning papery seed.
Sir Joseph Banks was a naturalist with Captain Cook in 1770. Banks collected thousands of plants which were taken back to England.
All banksia are endemic to Australia. Except one.
Very popular garden plant due to shrub size and showy flowers.
1918: May Gibbs wrote a series of books called “Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.” Big bad Banksia men were the arch enemy and trouble makers in the books.
Banksia Marginata: Silver Banksia: Honeysuckle
Only one banksia is native to this area. Unmistakable appearance. Height from 1-10m. Width up to 5m.
Beautiful large cylindrical yellow flowers from summer to autumn. Full of nectar.
Location: coastal, sub-alpine and grasslands.
Size: from prostrate shrub to 5-10 m. tree.
Leaves: white underneath. The leaves are 5/6 cm long, 1 cm wide, wedge shaped with a broad wide end.
Cones: 10 cm long and 5 cm wide.