Banksias are popular garden plants in Australia. Banksias grow as trees or woody shrubs. They often grow over 15 meters tall, and may be up to 30 meters tall.

 

Banksias are most easily recognized by their characteristic flower spike, known as an inflorescence, and the woody fruiting structures that appear after flowering. The flower spike consists of a central woody axis with a furry coating; it is generally held erect, but hangs down in a few species. This axis is covered in tightly-packed pairs of flowers, which are attached to the axis at right angles.

 

A single flower spike generally contains hundreds, if not thousands of flowers. As the flower spikes age, the flower parts dry up and may turn shades of orange, tan or dark brown color, before fading to grey over a period of years.

 

The plant has large, showy flower heads, and because of the large amounts of nectar they produce attracts birds and small mammals. Banksia wood is a red color with an attractive grain, but it is rarely used as it warps badly on drying. It is occasionally used for ornamental purposes

 

Banksias usually grow best in well drained soils in a sunny position. Most respond to light pruning, and those which form a woody rootstock (lignotuber) can be heavily pruned. Only low phosphorus fertilizers should be used.

 

 

 Did you know?

 

·        There are 76 Banksia species, and all but one occurs naturally only in Australia.

 

·        Banksias were named after Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820), who, in 1770, was the first European to collect specimens of these plants.