Hints For Growing (and seeing) Banksias

Hints For Growing Banksias

Here is a summary of accumulated knowledge from the Banksia Discussion Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/banksias. You are most welcome to add your 2c worth if you agree/disagree with anything written here. This is anecdotal so the more evidence to base our observations on the better! Especially with slow growing species such as these, no single person can ever hope to experience every species in every condition. I have tried to credit observations where I can.

General

Iron hunger; certain species, especially B. ericifolia, B spinulosa and B. 'Giant Candles' seem to be sensitive to iron deficiency (yellowing of leaves, or chlorosis), which will resolve with iron chelate (rapid - safer on plants than seedlings), iron sulphate (slower but longer lasting) or sulphur (slower still)(various)

Water; . We find that young banksias need more water than other natives (WS). In Margaret River, WA, I water mine with a bottle feeding regime......a 2 or 3 litre plastic bottle filled with water, pushed into the soil, and refilled about every two weeks. Doesn't sound like much I know, but it works for me. If I give them nothing, they die (unlike hakeas or dryandras). B. coccinea seems to need watering in summer always. (MM)

NK suggests that maybe hardiness is genetic, and seeds and cuttings of hardy plants are worth collecting (e.g. WA species having survived some years on the east coast).

Seedlings

- seedlings take approximately 3-6 weeks to germinate. A day/night temperature differential of around 10C seems to aid in this markedly. (Cas Liber, WA Banksia study on B. aculeata).

Jo O'Connell's (Australian Plants Nursery) tips for seeds:
Each seed is sown into individual(2 1/4" - tubes) pots so as not to disturb the roots when they are young seedlings.

Seed mix is 3:1 Perlite:Peat, well mixed and firmly (not tightly) packed into the pot. I place the seed in the centre of the pot and lightly cover with a fine washed river sand.

Drench the seed with a fungicide (I use Terrachlor over here). Failure to drench the seed will usually result in "damping off" problems so I do it without fail.

The seeds usually start appearing between 3-6 weeks, some longer. I sow the majority of my seed in autumn and by mid summer when they are well-rooted, I pot them into a larger container. In the past I have made the mistake of potting them on when they have just rooted in the pot, this slows them down or could kill them; wait until they have a well established root system and then they take off while there is still plenty of growing time in the summer and autumn.

I have them growing under 47% shadecloth and they are watered regularly. Don't let them completely dry out or you will lose them. They are pretty tough plants, as I have often had seedlings missed by the sprinkler system and found them quite dry but if I catch them in time they will survive okay. I think it is a fine line! Seedlings are also very frost hardy.

Warren Sheather's Plan for seedlings
Our seeds are germinated in a plastic covered igloo. At our altitude (900 metres) it doesn’t get too hot in summer. Banksia seeds are also sown individually in 50mm (2in) thumb pots. We use half Hortico Seed Raising Mix and half river sand in the thumb pots. We use this mix for both seeds and cuttings. We don’t use fungicide but sterilise the seed mix. A 4-litre plastic ice cream container is filled with the mix, moistened, placed in a plastic bag and zapped in a microwave on high power for about 15 minutes. The container is left to cool for a while, as it tends to become rather warm.
When we sow our seeds we cover them with a layer of smoked vermiculite. Many native plant seeds have increased germination % when treated with smoke. Usually the seeds are soaked in smoked water. In our case we place a sieve containing moistened vermiculite over a smoky fire (no flame) for about 15 minutes. The theory is that the vermiculite becomes covered with the chemicals from the smoke. As the seed pots are watered the chemicals are washed off the vermiculite and carried to the seeds. We are still experimenting with this method. We also pot on the Banksia seedlings, into bigger pots, when they are well developed. For potting on we use a commercial potting mix, which meets the Australian standard for potting mixes.

Ian Radford's Germination recipe
From my limited experience, banksia seed is amongst the easiest to germinate. You certainly don't need any fancy equipment. I have my seedlings growing in about 50% sunlight behind a trellis. The main problem I encounter is loss of seeds and seedlings from fungal infections. To minimise such loss, I soak seeds in diluted bleach (~ 1 teaspoon of White King to 500 ml of water) for 15 minutes, then place them in a small clean plastic tray (eg type used at supermarkets for delicatessen items) on tissue paper that has been soaked with Mancozeb (anti-fungal available from most hardware shops; presumably other anti-fungals would also be suitable) solution. Place lid on tray and, after about a week, inspect regularly for germination. Keep tissue paper moist by regular spraying with Mancozeb solution and remove any seeds that show signs of fungal infection. After germination has started, leave seeds for a week or more before placing in pots. I have been growing all my seedlings (banksias and others) in Nu-Erth Specialist native potting mix (25 lt $6.05, 700 lt $95.70) and it seems to be a pretty good product. Nu-Erth is an SA company, but the agent in Melbourne is Phillip Mariner (Tel: 0419-005597, Metrologistic Services, 1799 Hume Hwy, Campbellfield).

- Thrive or Aquasol may be preferable to iron chelate in cases of seedlings going yellow. Yellowing seedlings seem to be harder to treat than yellow older plants (WS, CL)

Grafting

- B. solandri on B. integrifolia as a cotyledon graft still appears to be the most consistently successful scion/stock combination, having been successfully performed by many grafters including Doug McKenzie in Victoria, Mark Ross in NSW, and in the UK last century.

Nathan Kirkwood (Sub Species) has had success with a form of B. hookeriana onto B. integrifolia and is releasing it commercially in summer 01/02

from Alex George's Banksia book (1996)

lemanniana on cunninghamii
speciosa on integrifolia
pilostylis on integrifolia

Merv Hodge said the only notable success he had has been B. grandis on B. integrifolia and he has done a few - the longest is still alive at 6-7 years old and has flowered. He isn't sure but has noticed that the blooms seem short lived compared to eastern species (looking good for 1 week or so after the flowers open). The initial one was cotyledon grafted and then took cuttings from the scion afterwards as he had heard B. grandis can take some time to flower. He had some initial success with B. brownii but it didn't seem to grow much past a year. Same problem with B. nutans and B. menziesii didn't work at all. He had a friend called Harvey Shaw (Shore?) who got one long lived success with Banksia sceptrum on integrifolia but this was isolated and they were never able to repeat this.

from Banksia study group report 7 (~1983)

Doug Mackenzie had some compatibility with:
B. grandis, solandri, verticillata, lemanniana and littoralis on integrifolia
B. elderiana, praemorsa, brownii and Dryandra praemorsa on B. spinulosa

B. ericifolia is nonlignotuberous so may have some overall benefit as it would be less likely to shoot from the stock (if something can be found to be compatible with it)

Doug McKenzie tried the following on ericifolia:
coccinea (1 tried - stem broke -lasted 4 months)
nutans (1 tried - slow growth - survived at least to 4 years)
occidentalis (4 tried - stem broke -longest lasted 6 months)
sphaerocarpa ((2 tried - stem broke -longest lasted 18 months)
Tony Henderson also reported in the same report grafting B. meisneri onto nutans onto ericifolia with success and lasted a few years, though he said it was strringy looking
Of the abietinae, I would guess that B. violacea would be a nice plant (Tony said he tried it a few times on ericifolia with no success), and nutans (which has had some vague promising reports as compatible on ericifolia) as both are purplish in colour.
Also, Alex George reported that B. scabrella (has purplish styles and creamy inflorescences) has horticultural potential - not sure why but it flowers for 4 months.
I spoke with Doug today who said he had a few nutans still which have lasted for some years. Also, one B. grossa (similar to sphaerocarpa) which survived to flowering. He had tried violacea without success.
from Encyclopedia Of Australian Plants (1985) - Eliot & Jones

B nutans on ericifolia
ashbyi, hookeriana, lemanniana and menzesii on robur
attenuata, baueri, burdetti, lemanniana, media, ornata, speciosa and sceptrum on serrata
ashbyi, burdetti, brownii, lemanniana, occidentalis, ornata, pilostylis and victoriae on spinulosa

from Banksias Waratahs & Grevilleas (Wrigley & Fagg) 1989

promising ones were (optimistic??):

benthamiana, brownii, grandis, lemanniana, occidentalis, verticillata, violacea, solandri, laricina, pilostylis, speciosa, laevigata on integrifolia
brownii, laricina on spinulosa collina
elderiana, lemanniana, praemorsa on spinulosa spinulosa
brownii on marginata
nutans on ericifolia
prionotes, speciosa, sceptrum, victoriae on serrata

Hardiest WA species

B. blechnifolia and B. media remain the two hardiest WA species in Sydney, having been successfully grown by several people.

B. baueri, B. dryandroides and B. occidentalis have appeared in gardens up on the Northern Tablelands of NSW. (WS)

B. lemanniana was growing well in the ANBG in Canberra.

JN added this about B. media & B. praemorsa:
'It is hard to say which of Banksia media or B. praemorsa is hardier in cultivation at the ANBG. We have examples of both growing here with some being in the ground for 25 years or more (B. praemorsa on its own roots and our oldest examples of B. media grafted onto B. serrata rootstock). We have also lost many examples of these two Banksia species which have been planted into the ground at the Gardens. The best new plant of Banksia praemorsa we have, planted out two years ago, is doing well in competition with the roots of an overstorey Eucalyptus mannifera. I am convinced that this is one way of ensuring that plants do not stand in free water for any length of time, with the roots of the overstorey trees draining the soil very effectively.'

Seeing Notable Plants

Banksia Hill B&B is about 5k's before Natimuk on the Horsham - Natimuk Rd. Visits are by appointment only. They have extensive plantings (11 hectares in total), with lots of Western Banksias and some Proteas, Hakeas and Grevilleas.

according to Wrigley and Fagg, there's a 100 year old Banksia integrifolia in the Tresco Abbey gardens on the isles of Scilly. LM says it is a wonderful place to visit.

Pine-Lodge is a large garden in cornwall http://www.pine-lodge.co.uk/ They have growing Banksia quercifolia and integrifolia there.

Little Desert National Park, in NW Victoria, is worth a visit. plenty of interesting plants including magnificent B. ornatas. Also a tall form of B. marginata grows in the National Park.(WS)

In the Munmorah SRA (State Recreation Area), just south of Wybung Head, is a dwarf form of Banksia aemula, to 18" high, with large flowers and lots of seed set. It breeds true from seed.

Also present are dwarf B. spinulosa collina of variable colour (RD, DB)

There is a fine B. 'Giant Candles' growing in the grounds of Ryde TAFE College in Sydney and a number of specimens line the main street in (Taree) Old Bar on the North Coast of NSW. None of these plants have bare stems, in fact they have foliage almost reaching the ground. (WS)

There's a whopper of a B. prionotes in a little used park in Keilor next to the Council depot (West of Melbourne - not far off the Western Ring Road/Calder interchange on Keilor Park Drive). It's about 5m x 4m and each spring it's a stunner. Here(RB)

Banksias and odour

B. conferta conferta - apparently the flowers are said, when massed, to 'have an overpowering fragrance on a warm day.'
B. caleyi - said to have an unpleasant mammalian odour
B. nutans - said to smell like onions

- Wrigley & Fagg's book on aromatic australian plants

Banksias, Winter Temperature and Colour

Kevin Collins noticed that on the Banksia Farm in Albany, the redness of the flowers of some species seemed to be related to the coldness of the winter prior - this was true of B. menziesii (the colder the winter, the redder the flower) and also B. integrifolia monticola, whose young flowers have a pinkish tinge.

Banksias as weeds

Tim Low's feral future (very sobering book) which mentions that Banksia ericifolia could or has started to become weedy in South Africa.

B. integrifolia had weedy potential in Albany, WA as the white tailed black cockatoos would pick the unripened seed pods and carry them off, drop them somewhere and wait for them to open. KC has found integrifolia seedlings on his place.

Notes On Individual Species & Cultivars

GENUS SPECIES VARIETY/SSP. NOTES

SUBGENUS BANKSIA

SECTION BANKSIA

Series Salicinae

Banksia dentata It looks like it would also be a great bonsai, it has a great trunk like B. grandis and the leaves are interesting for a container plant. It has survived here (Southern California, Ventura) in a container in a cold shadehouse where the temperatures have gone down to 25F with little damage to the plant. Last years plants in a similar situation when our temps got down to 19F there was noticable frost damage on the leaves but they came right back in the spring. After 4 or 5 years it is 1 metre tall with a carrot shaped base.(JO'C)
vigorous on integrifolia roots (DB)

Banksia integrifolia integrifolia - may be a good espalier plant with its rangy habit and long internodes (the reasons for its limited bonsai appeal)

Banksia integrifolia " Roller Coaster"

Banksia integrifolia compar

Banksia integrifolia monticola White Mountain Banksia - Mt Hyland Rainforest Nature Reserve has plants 25m high, including one plant 30m high with a 1.3m trunk.

Banksia aquilonia - frost hardy at ANBG (CL), can take a long time to flower on own roots - 8 yrs or more (DB), more vigour on integrifolia roots (irrigated approach graft) (DB).

Banksia conferta conferta -flowers in 4 years at Coff's (BK)

Banksia conferta penicillata
- took a very long time to flower from seed - 7 or 8 years and still waiting (both in Western Sydney)... (DB, BW)

-died quickly on own roots in Coff's Harbour. Flowered after 4 years when grafted (SC)

- there are hybrids between B. marginata and B. conferta penicillata on the road to the Glow Worm Tunnel on Newnes Plateau, and also with B. cunninghamii on railway cuttings on the road to the Glow Worm Tunnel on Newnes Plateau (PH). Many plants at Mt Annan with varying inflorescences; some plants had longish (20-25cm) ones with a rich orangey colour in bud and yellow tipped presenters, others were a dullish yellow and smaller. (CL)

Banksia marginata (=patula) - there are hybrids between B. marginata and B. conferta penicillata on the road to the Glow Worm Tunnel on Newnes Plateau (PH). 2 forms grow side by side in the grampians, a tree-like form which sets profuse seed and a suckering form which sets none, forming clonal stands. Morphology of seeds and inflorescences is the same. Alex Christopoulos looked at this and information on B. marginata in other and concluded there was only one variable species (KT)

Banksia marginata "minimarge" reliability unknown in Sydney (Merrick's), but does stay small. Plants don't last long either in the nursery and in the ground in Newcastle (LP)

Banksia marginata 'Croajingalong form' dwarf form to 1m high from 'Croajingalong NP, propagated by Kuranga Nursery. Requires good drainage, sun and air movement in Vic.

Banksia marginata Portland form' dwarf form to 1m high from coast near Portland in western Victoria, propagated by Kuranga Nursery. Requires good drainage, sun and air movement in Vic.

Banksia marginata 'coastal spread' dwarf form to 1m high x 2m from windswept Northeast Tasmanian coast, with lemon 2-3" spikes, and small 1cm long leaves, propagated by Will Fletcher of Plants Of Tasmania Nursery in Tasmania

Banksia marginata 'Ridgeway spread' 3m high x 3m open shrub, with lemon 2-3" spikes, propagated by Will Fletcher of Plants Of Tasmania Nursery in Tasmania

Banksia marginata (Martin Swanson's small form) dwarf form to 50cm high from Betka River near Mallacoota, propagated by Martin Swanson of Wildtech Nursery. Possibly does get taller than this in cultivation

Banksia marginata (Martin Swanson's mauve form) mauve budded form to 1.5m high, provenance unknown, propagated by Martin Swanson of Wildtech Nursery

Banksia marginata x integrifolia (?) (Martin Swanson's floriferous form) probably a hybrid with B. integrifolia, plants along Ninety Mile Beach, propagated by Martin Swanson of Wildtech Nursery

Banksia canei grafted onto integrifolia, never flowered at Coff's (SC). The Wulgulmerang form is hardier and easier to grow, while the Wellington River has a habit of dying suddenly. The Wellington River form also has the specimens with the blue buds in wild country near Licola in Victoria (MS). Wellington River form flowered in 2 years in Sydney (CL)

Banksia canei "Celia Rosser" This has been extinct for 15 years.

Banksia saxicola A grafted specimen still hadn't flowered after 11 years in Sydney(DB). Grafted, occasional flowers at Coff's (SC). Large specimen with no sign of flowering at Mt Annan - shy to flower? (CL)

Banksia plagiocarpa - frost hardy at ANBG (CL)

Banksia oblongifolia (=asplenifolia)

Banksia robur (=latifolia) RD found it fairly easy to propagate by selecting stems ( 15-20cm long) that were of pencil thickness or more, and by leaving 3 inches (8cm) or so of each leaf.

Banksia paludosa paludosa Apparently there is a large orange-flowered form near Huskisson (AS). Has grown to 2m in Mt Annan Botanic Gardens, though no confirmed recordngs of it over 1.5m in wild.

Banksia paludosa "Greencape Dwarf"

Banksia paludosa astrolux

Series Grandes

Banksia grandis Growing well at Cobargo NSW on acid (pH 5.5-6) gravelly granitic soil on slopes in 1000mm rainfall (Wildgems)

Banksia solandri

Series Quercinae

Banksia quercifolia

Banksia oreophila

Series bauerinae

Banksia baueri survived at least one winter in Armidale, NSW (WS); another plant has grown to flowering after 4 years at 'Rock Abbey' in Uralla (JN)

Series Banksiae

Banksia serrata

Banksia serrata "Superman" Still unclear whether a distinct form or tetraploidy. A similar large flowered form occurs on the Nattai River, near Starlight's trail (DB)

Banksia serrata "Pygmy Possum"

Banksia aemula (=serratifolia) possibly quite choosy in requiring a very sandy, well drained soil (JS, CL, TP)
There are several very healthy specimens in the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens seemingly growing on rock and gravel although they are heavily mulched. It is common on the Moreton Bay islands and grow in pure sand there, often with B. serrata (TP)
Attractive low shrubby forms exist in the Myall Lakes (PL) and Stradbroke Island (TP).
A form which is 18" high and with large flowers and may grow true from seed (luckily sets lots of seed) can be found at Wybung Head in Lake Munmorah State Recreation Area south of Newcastle (RD)

Banksia ornata

Banksia menziesii Growing well at Cobargo NSW on acid (pH 5.5-6) gravelly granitic soil on slopes in 1000mm rainfall (Wildgems)

Banksia speciosa - has been grafted successfully onto B. serrata, but very slow growth (DM, ANBG), also recently grafted onto B. aemula (NK)

Banksia baxteri

Banksia candolleana B. candolleana is said to take up to 10 years to flower, but KC found that it flowered after 4-5 years. He also had collected some seed and 4 plants came up with yellow flowers, one pinkish, and one red (!) - sadly the red one died but he got a slide of it flowering.

Banksia sceptrum

Series Crocinae

Banksia prionotes

Banksia "Waite Orange"

Banksia victoriae

Banksia hookeriana

Banksia burdetti

Series Cyrtostylis

Banksia media

Banksia media 'super flat'

Banksia media 'semi-flat'

Banksia media 'swirly'

Banksia epica - 2 plants have flowered profusely at ANBG, lasting 6 years so far. Many others there have died in worse drainage (JN). Grows well in alkaline soils up to pH 9 in Perth and Mt Barker WA (KC). May be distinguished from B. media as it has purple young follicles rather than brown. (KC)

Banksia praemorsa

Banksia pilostylis

Banksia attenuata

Banksia attenuata dwarf

Banksia lindleyana

Banksia ashbyi I can vouch for Banksia ashbyi sometimes smelling like dirty socks! (JO'C-ANP)
-has been grown successfully in Myall Park, Qld (MH)

Banksia benthamiana

Banksia audax

Banksia laevigata laevigata

Banksia laevigata fuscolutea

Banksia lullfitzii

Banksia elderiana -shot back from the lignotuber after the 1990 (-8C) freeze in California (JO'C)

Banksia elegans KC said it took 14-15 years and only seemed to set viable seed after a bushfire. He said it was growing well at the Banksia Farm.

Series Prostratae

Banksia goodii

Banksia gardneri (=prostrata) gardneri

Banksia gardneri brevidentata

Banksia gardneri hiemalis

Banksia chamaephyton

Banksia repens Has survived for 10 years or more in a well-drained SW facing rockery garden at BP's house in Sydney. (CL) Also at FJs house for ~15 years getting summer water.

Banksia blechnifolia known to flower within a year of planting out from forestry tube in SA (DK). Grown for 15 years (2 plants) at FJs house in Sydney. Vigorous with extra water (JE)

Banksia petiolaris KC had heard of it growing in a pH of 9.5 in the USA. Grown in FJs garden in Sydney with summer water for around 9 years.

Series Tetragonae

Banksia lemanniana - a fine specimen in ANBG

Banksia caleyi flowered at Sydney Wildflower Nursery South in Engadine. Grown by FJ for ~15 years in Sydney - grew to 1m and had 3 flowers/year for many years. Died after being replanted

Banksia aculeata grown in Victoria & SA

SECTION COCCINEAE

Banksia coccinea

Banksia coccinea "Waite Crimson"

Banksia coccinea "Waite Flame"

SECTION ONCOSTYLIS

Series Spicigerae

Banksia spinulosa spinulosa

Banksia spinulosa "Carnarvon Gold"

Banksia spinulosa "Birthday Candles"
has proven somewhat delicate, possibly to frost (WS) or less than good drainage (NK, CL). Performs well in Stawell (NM). In Melbourne, can flower every alternate year.

dies in a few months in the ground in Queensland (KR, Fairhill)

Banksia spinulosa "Cherry Candles" dwarf (45cm high) form of B. s. spinulosa with lots of red-styled gold flowers. Under PBR - Bill Molyneux (Austraflora) (notes)

Banksia spinulosa "Coastal Cushion" Seems to be most reliable in Sydney and reports of going OK in Qld (TP).
Same as 'Schnapper Point' (NM). Fairhill reports reliable in Brisbane too. Flowers well every year as long as dead-headed (Kuranga)

Banksia spinulosa 'Golden Cascade' Also called 'prostrate', a flatter form of B. s. spinulosa which grows 30cm high by 1.5-2m across, propagated by Martin Swanson initially and then Gahan of Gondwana Nursery, from Schnapper Point near Ulladulla on NSW south coast. Philip Vaughan also has a prostrate which may be the same as this one.

Banksia spinulosa "Honey Pots" Some flowers to 20cm tall, unlike other dwarf spinulosas. Can be untidy in a pot. Reports of growing to 1 or even 1.5m.

Banksia spinulosa collina Low growing coastal forms at Lake Munmorah SRA are golden to buttercup yellow in colour. (RD)

Banksia spinulosa "Stumpy Gold" Low growing coastal form of B. s. collina fom Wybung Head (Lake Munmorah SRA), grows on silty loam so should theoretically take heavier soil thna other dwarves.

Banksia cunninghamii cunninghamii
In nature, grows more in forests than B. spinulosa, so may be more shade tolerant in a garden situation. (PH)

Faster growing initially than B. integrifolia so has great potential as rootstock for grafting experiments. (AP)

Banksia cunninghamii "Lemon Glow"

Banksia cunninghamii neoanglica

Banksia "Giant Candles" - can be quite leggy and sparse (WS, CL, JD), but can grow back from hard pruning (CL)

Banksia ericifolia ericifolia
In a study by DP in Manly, most frequent bird visitors were Silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis), White Cheeked & New Holland Honeyeaters and Little Wattlebirds, and the most frequent insect visitor was the honeybee.
Some experiments were performed to determine if the blooms were able to self pollinate themselves (fruit then only occurred in 1 out of 23 blooms, and may have been contaminated). If birds and insects were excluded, no blooms developed fruit, birds alone excluded then 48% bore fruit, and none excluded/natural 63% bore fruit.

Hybrids with B. spinulosa may be seen at Clarence Swamps/ Clarence Colliery off Bell's Line Of Road in the Blue Mountains. They have short leaves and a lignotuber (PH)

Banksia ericifolia 'Burgundy'

Banksia ericifolia "Limelight"

Banksia ericifolia "Purple Pygmy"

Banksia ericifolia "White Candles"

Banksia ericifolia macrantha

Banksia brownii some success as a cotyledon approach graft onto B. integrifolia (MR)

Banksia occidentalis

Banksia littoralis - has survived -4 C easily (JO'C)

Banksia seminuda - didn't flower over 15 years grafted at Coff's (SC)

Banksia verticillata

Banksia tricuspis
took around 10 years to flower but was worth the wait - KC has a 12 year bush with 150 flowers on it. It was hardy but very slow growing, and was on acid sand. TB has had it in the ground for 25 years and it is yet to flower.

Grown commercially on acid sand in East Gippsland (JF)

Series Dryandroideae

Banksia dryandroides known to flower within a year of planting out from forestry tube in SA (DK)
has been grown to flowering and survived 5 years in Sydney (BL, also bPS)

Series Abietinae

Banksia sphaerocarpa sphaerocarpa 1 graft (of many) survived for many years on B. ericifolia at Joseph Banks reserve (TH)

Banksia sphaerocarpa caesia

Banksia sphaerocarpa dolichostyla

Banksia micrantha

Banksia grossa

Banksia leptophylla (=pinifolia) leptophylla

Banksia leptophylla melletica

Banksia lanata

Banksia scabrella

Banksia telmatiaea

Banksia laricina

Banksia incana

Banksia violacea

Banksia meisneri meisneri

Banksia meisneri ascendens

Banksia pulchella

Banksia nutans nutans

Banksia nutans cernuella

SUBGENUS ISOSTYLIS

Banksia ilicifolia

Banksia oligantha

Banksia cuneata Banksia cuneata was a very vigorous and quick grower, and had become naturalised (!) around some place called Moore River north of Perth where someone had grown it as a cut flower crop. He says it is quick growing in the garden but drips alot of nectar so don't cut flowers and bring them inside as they will ruin your furniture. (KD)

Key

CL = Cas Liber - Sydney, NSW
WS = Warren Sheather - Armidale, NSW
JD = John Druhan - Orange, NSW
MR = Mark Ross - Windsor, NSW
RD = Ross Doig - Turramurra, NSW
bPS = Brother Pat Stanley, St Canisius College, NSW
KC = Kevin Collins - Banksia Farm, Albany, WA
KD = Kingsley Dixon - WA Herbarium, Perth, WA
JN = John Nightingale - Curator Living Collections, ANBG Canberra, ACT
TB = Trevor Blake, Melbourne, Vic.
TH = Tony Henderson - Engadine, NSW
NK = Nathan Kirkwood - Sutherland Shire, NSW
DM = Doug McKenzie - Victoria
KR = Kerry Rathie - Queensland
SC = Steve Clemesha - Woolgoolga, NSW
MH = Merv Hodge - Qld
JO'C = Jo O'Connell - Ventura, CA
MM = Margaret Moir - Margaret River, WA
NM = Neil Marriott - Stawell, Vic
RB = Russell Best - Melbourne, Vic.
LM = Lee Mullen - Cornwall, UK
DP = David Paton - University of Adelaide
BL = Ben Linke- Dundas, NSW
BW = Brian Walters - Castlereagh, NSW
BK = Barry Kemp - Coffs Harbour, NSW
DB = David Banks - Northmead, NSW
FJ = Fred Johnston - Dural, NSW
JE = John Evans - Cherrybrook, NSW
TP = Tim Powe - Newtown, Queensland
JS= Jan Sked - Lawnton, Queensland
PL = Paddy Lightfoot, Newcastle
PH = Peter Hinde, RBG - Sydney, NSW
JF = James Frew, Sale, Victoria
BP = Bill Payne, Editor, Australian Plants, Sydney, NSW.
AP = Annette Peisley, Genoa, Victoria
MS= Martin Swanson of Wildtech, Victoria
LP = Leanne Pattinson, Newcastle, NSW
JN = John Nevin, Armidale, NSW

GENUS	SPECIES	VARIETY/SSP.	NOTES
SUBGENUS BANKSIA
SECTION BANKSIA
Series Salicinae
Banksia	dentata		It looks like it would also be a great bonsai, it has a great trunk like B. grandis and the leaves are interesting for a container plant. It has survived here (Southern California, Ventura) in a container in a cold shadehouse where the temperatures have gone down to 25F with little damage to the plant. Last years plants in a similar situation when our temps got down to 19F there was noticable frost damage on the leaves but they came right back in the spring. After 4 or 5 years it is 1 metre tall with a carrot shaped base.(JO'C) vigorous on integrifolia roots (DB)
Banksia	integrifolia	integrifolia	- may be a good espalier plant with its rangy habit and long internodes (the reasons for its limited bonsai appeal)
Banksia	integrifolia	" Roller Coaster"
Banksia	integrifolia	compar
Banksia	integrifolia	monticola	White Mountain Banksia - Mt Hyland Rainforest Nature Reserve has plants 25m high, including one plant 30m high with a 1.3m trunk.
Banksia	aquilonia		- frost hardy at ANBG (CL), can take a long time to flower on own roots - 8 yrs or more (DB), more vigour on integrifolia roots (irrigated approach graft) (DB).
Banksia	conferta	conferta	-flowers in 4 years at Coff's (BK)
Banksia	conferta	penicillata	- took a very long time to flower from seed - 7 or 8 years and still waiting (both in Western Sydney)... (DB, BW) -died quickly on own roots in Coff's Harbour. Flowered after 4 years when grafted (SC) - there are hybrids between B. marginata and B. conferta penicillata on the road to the Glow Worm Tunnel on Newnes Plateau, and also with B. cunninghamii on railway cuttings on the road to the Glow Worm Tunnel on Newnes Plateau (PH). Many plants at Mt Annan with varying inflorescences; some plants had longish (20-25cm) ones with a rich orangey colour in bud and yellow tipped presenters, others were a dullish yellow and smaller. (CL)
Banksia	marginata (=patula)		- there are hybrids between B. marginata and B. conferta penicillata on the road to the Glow Worm Tunnel on Newnes Plateau (PH). 2 forms grow side by side in the grampians, a tree-like form which sets profuse seed and a suckering form which sets none, forming clonal stands. Morphology of seeds and inflorescences is the same. Alex Christopoulos looked at this and information on B. marginata in other and concluded there was only one variable species (KT)
Banksia	marginata	"minimarge"	reliability unknown in Sydney (Merrick's), but does stay small. Plants don't last long either in the nursery and in the ground in Newcastle (LP)
Banksia	marginata	'Croajingalong form'	dwarf form to 1m high from 'Croajingalong NP, propagated by Kuranga Nursery. Requires good drainage, sun and air movement in Vic.
Banksia	marginata	Portland form'	dwarf form to 1m high from coast near Portland in western Victoria, propagated by Kuranga Nursery. Requires good drainage, sun and air movement in Vic.
Banksia	marginata	'coastal spread'	dwarf form to 1m high x 2m from windswept Northeast Tasmanian coast, with lemon 2-3" spikes, and small 1cm long leaves, propagated by Will Fletcher of Plants Of Tasmania Nursery in Tasmania
Banksia	marginata	'Ridgeway spread'	3m high x 3m open shrub, with lemon 2-3" spikes, propagated by Will Fletcher of Plants Of Tasmania Nursery in Tasmania
Banksia	marginata	(Martin Swanson's small form)	dwarf form to 50cm high from Betka River near Mallacoota, propagated by Martin Swanson of Wildtech Nursery. Possibly does get taller than this in cultivation
Banksia	marginata	(Martin Swanson's mauve form)	mauve budded form to 1.5m high, provenance unknown, propagated by Martin Swanson of Wildtech Nursery
Banksia	marginata x integrifolia (?)	(Martin Swanson's floriferous form)	probably a hybrid with B. integrifolia, plants along Ninety Mile Beach, propagated by Martin Swanson of Wildtech Nursery
Banksia	canei		grafted onto integrifolia, never flowered at Coff's (SC). The Wulgulmerang form is hardier and easier to grow, while the Wellington River has a habit of dying suddenly. The Wellington River form also has the specimens with the blue buds in wild country near Licola in Victoria (MS). Wellington River form flowered in 2 years in Sydney (CL)
Banksia	canei	"Celia Rosser"	This has been extinct for 15 years.
Banksia	saxicola		A grafted specimen still hadn't flowered after 11 years in Sydney(DB). Grafted, occasional flowers at Coff's (SC). Large specimen with no sign of flowering at Mt Annan - shy to flower? (CL)
Banksia	plagiocarpa		- frost hardy at ANBG (CL)
Banksia	oblongifolia (=asplenifolia)
Banksia	robur (=latifolia)		RD found it fairly easy to propagate by selecting stems ( 15-20cm long) that were of pencil thickness or more, and by leaving 3 inches (8cm) or so of each leaf.
Banksia	paludosa	paludosa	Apparently there is a large orange-flowered form near Huskisson (AS). Has grown to 2m in Mt Annan Botanic Gardens, though no confirmed recordngs of it over 1.5m in wild.
Banksia	paludosa	"Greencape Dwarf"
Banksia	paludosa	astrolux
Series Grandes
Banksia	grandis		Growing well at Cobargo NSW on acid (pH 5.5-6) gravelly granitic soil on slopes in 1000mm rainfall (Wildgems)
Banksia	solandri
Series Quercinae
Banksia	quercifolia
Banksia	oreophila
Series bauerinae
Banksia	baueri		survived at least one winter in Armidale, NSW (WS); another plant has grown to flowering after 4 years at 'Rock Abbey' in Uralla (JN)
Series Banksiae
Banksia	serrata
Banksia	serrata	"Superman"	Still unclear whether a distinct form or tetraploidy. A similar large flowered form occurs on the Nattai River, near Starlight's trail (DB)
Banksia	serrata	"Pygmy Possum"
Banksia	aemula (=serratifolia)		possibly quite choosy in requiring a very sandy, well drained soil (JS, CL, TP) There are several very healthy specimens in the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens seemingly growing on rock and gravel although they are heavily mulched. It is common on the Moreton Bay islands and grow in pure sand there, often with B. serrata (TP) Attractive low shrubby forms exist in the Myall Lakes (PL) and Stradbroke Island (TP). A form which is 18" high and with large flowers and may grow true from seed (luckily sets lots of seed) can be found at Wybung Head in Lake Munmorah State Recreation Area south of Newcastle (RD)
Banksia	ornata
Banksia	menziesii		Growing well at Cobargo NSW on acid (pH 5.5-6) gravelly granitic soil on slopes in 1000mm rainfall (Wildgems)
Banksia	speciosa		- has been grafted successfully onto B. serrata, but very slow growth (DM, ANBG), also recently grafted onto B. aemula (NK)
Banksia	baxteri
Banksia	candolleana		B. candolleana is said to take up to 10 years to flower, but KC found that it flowered after 4-5 years. He also had collected some seed and 4 plants came up with yellow flowers, one pinkish, and one red (!) - sadly the red one died but he got a slide of it flowering.
Banksia	sceptrum
Series Crocinae
Banksia	prionotes
Banksia		"Waite Orange"
Banksia	victoriae
Banksia	hookeriana
Banksia	burdetti
Series Cyrtostylis
Banksia	media
Banksia	media	'super flat'
Banksia	media	'semi-flat'
Banksia	media	'swirly'
Banksia	epica		- 2 plants have flowered profusely at ANBG, lasting 6 years so far. Many others there have died in worse drainage (JN). Grows well in alkaline soils up to pH 9 in Perth and Mt Barker WA (KC). May be distinguished from B. media as it has purple young follicles rather than brown. (KC)
Banksia	praemorsa
Banksia	pilostylis
Banksia	attenuata
Banksia	attenuata	dwarf
Banksia	lindleyana
Banksia	ashbyi		I can vouch for Banksia ashbyi sometimes smelling like dirty socks! (JO'C-ANP) -has been grown successfully in Myall Park, Qld (MH)
Banksia	benthamiana
Banksia	audax
Banksia	laevigata	laevigata
Banksia	laevigata	fuscolutea
Banksia	lullfitzii
Banksia	elderiana		-shot back from the lignotuber after the 1990 (-8C) freeze in California (JO'C)
Banksia	elegans		KC said it took 14-15 years and only seemed to set viable seed after a bushfire. He said it was growing well at the Banksia Farm.
Series Prostratae
Banksia	goodii
Banksia	gardneri (=prostrata)	gardneri
Banksia	gardneri	brevidentata
Banksia	gardneri	hiemalis
Banksia	chamaephyton
Banksia	repens		Has survived for 10 years or more in a well-drained SW facing rockery garden at BP's house in Sydney. (CL) Also at FJs house for ~15 years getting summer water.
Banksia	blechnifolia		known to flower within a year of planting out from forestry tube in SA (DK). Grown for 15 years (2 plants) at FJs house in Sydney. Vigorous with extra water (JE)
Banksia	petiolaris		KC had heard of it growing in a pH of 9.5 in the USA. Grown in FJs garden in Sydney with summer water for around 9 years.
Series Tetragonae
Banksia	lemanniana		- a fine specimen in ANBG
Banksia	caleyi		flowered at Sydney Wildflower Nursery South in Engadine. Grown by FJ for ~15 years in Sydney - grew to 1m and had 3 flowers/year for many years. Died after being replanted
Banksia	aculeata		grown in Victoria & SA
SECTION COCCINEAE
Banksia	coccinea
Banksia	coccinea	"Waite Crimson"
Banksia	coccinea	"Waite Flame"
SECTION ONCOSTYLIS
Series Spicigerae
Banksia	spinulosa	spinulosa
Banksia	spinulosa	"Carnarvon Gold"
Banksia	spinulosa	"Birthday Candles"	has proven somewhat delicate, possibly to frost (WS) or less than good drainage (NK, CL). Performs well in Stawell (NM). In Melbourne, can flower every alternate year. dies in a few months in the ground in Queensland (KR, Fairhill)
Banksia	spinulosa	"Cherry Candles"	dwarf (45cm high) form of B. s. spinulosa with lots of red-styled gold flowers. Under PBR - Bill Molyneux (Austraflora) (notes)
Banksia	spinulosa	"Coastal Cushion"	Seems to be most reliable in Sydney and reports of going OK in Qld (TP). Same as 'Schnapper Point' (NM). Fairhill reports reliable in Brisbane too. Flowers well every year as long as dead-headed (Kuranga)
Banksia	spinulosa	'Golden Cascade'	Also called 'prostrate', a flatter form of B. s. spinulosa which grows 30cm high by 1.5-2m across, propagated by Martin Swanson initially and then Gahan of Gondwana Nursery, from Schnapper Point near Ulladulla on NSW south coast. Philip Vaughan also has a prostrate which may be the same as this one.
Banksia	spinulosa	"Honey Pots"	Some flowers to 20cm tall, unlike other dwarf spinulosas. Can be untidy in a pot. Reports of growing to 1 or even 1.5m.
Banksia	spinulosa	collina	Low growing coastal forms at Lake Munmorah SRA are golden to buttercup yellow in colour. (RD)
Banksia	spinulosa	"Stumpy Gold"	Low growing coastal form of B. s. collina fom Wybung Head (Lake Munmorah SRA), grows on silty loam so should theoretically take heavier soil thna other dwarves.
Banksia	cunninghamii	cunninghamii	In nature, grows more in forests than B. spinulosa, so may be more shade tolerant in a garden situation. (PH) Faster growing initially than B. integrifolia so has great potential as rootstock for grafting experiments. (AP)
Banksia	cunninghamii	"Lemon Glow"
Banksia	cunninghamii	neoanglica
Banksia		"Giant Candles"	- can be quite leggy and sparse (WS, CL, JD), but can grow back from hard pruning (CL)
Banksia	ericifolia	ericifolia	In a study by DP in Manly, most frequent bird visitors were Silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis), White Cheeked & New Holland Honeyeaters and Little Wattlebirds, and the most frequent insect visitor was the honeybee. Some experiments were performed to determine if the blooms were able to self pollinate themselves (fruit then only occurred in 1 out of 23 blooms, and may have been contaminated). If birds and insects were excluded, no blooms developed fruit, birds alone excluded then 48% bore fruit, and none excluded/natural 63% bore fruit. Hybrids with B. spinulosa may be seen at Clarence Swamps/ Clarence Colliery off Bell's Line Of Road in the Blue Mountains. They have short leaves and a lignotuber (PH)
Banksia	ericifolia	'Burgundy'
Banksia	ericifolia	"Limelight"
Banksia	ericifolia	"Purple Pygmy"
Banksia	ericifolia	"White Candles"
Banksia	ericifolia	macrantha
Banksia	brownii		some success as a cotyledon approach graft onto B. integrifolia (MR)
Banksia	occidentalis
Banksia	littoralis		- has survived -4 C easily (JO'C)
Banksia	seminuda		- didn't flower over 15 years grafted at Coff's (SC)
Banksia	verticillata
Banksia	tricuspis		took around 10 years to flower but was worth the wait - KC has a 12 year bush with 150 flowers on it. It was hardy but very slow growing, and was on acid sand. TB has had it in the ground for 25 years and it is yet to flower. Grown commercially on acid sand in East Gippsland (JF)
Series Dryandroideae
Banksia	dryandroides		known to flower within a year of planting out from forestry tube in SA (DK) has been grown to flowering and survived 5 years in Sydney (BL, also bPS)
Series Abietinae
Banksia	sphaerocarpa	sphaerocarpa	1 graft (of many) survived for many years on B. ericifolia at Joseph Banks reserve (TH)
Banksia	sphaerocarpa	caesia
Banksia	sphaerocarpa	dolichostyla
Banksia	micrantha
Banksia	grossa
Banksia	leptophylla (=pinifolia)	leptophylla
Banksia	leptophylla	melletica
Banksia	lanata
Banksia	scabrella
Banksia	telmatiaea
Banksia	laricina
Banksia	incana
Banksia	violacea
Banksia	meisneri	meisneri
Banksia	meisneri	ascendens
Banksia	pulchella
Banksia	nutans	nutans
Banksia	nutans	cernuella
SUBGENUS ISOSTYLIS
Banksia	ilicifolia
Banksia	oligantha
Banksia	cuneata		Banksia cuneata was a very vigorous and quick grower, and had become naturalised (!) around some place called Moore River north of Perth where someone had grown it as a cut flower crop. He says it is quick growing in the garden but drips alot of nectar so don't cut flowers and bring them inside as they will ruin your furniture. (KD)