Wikimedia Commons
Proteaceae
Banksia
Banksia
Resilience, transformation, the Australian wild.
- Family
- Proteaceae
- Genus
- Banksia
- Native to
- Australia
- Bloom season
- Fall, Winter, Spring
- Type
- evergreen shrub or tree
- Height
- 0.3–25 m
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Sandy, acidic, low phosphorus
- Water
- Low; drought tolerant
- Hardiness
- 9–11
- Lifespan
- Decades to centuries
Did you know
- Banksias are named after Sir Joseph Banks, the botanist who sailed with Captain Cook on the Endeavour and collected the first specimens in 1770.
- There are about 170 species, almost all endemic to Australia — none occur naturally outside the continent.
- Many banksia species require fire to release their seeds — the woody cones only open after exposure to wildfire heat.
- Banksia 'cones' inspired the menacing 'Big Bad Banksia Men' in the classic Australian children's book series 'The Magic Pudding.'
- A single banksia flower spike can contain over 1,000 individual tiny flowers, providing huge nectar feasts for honeyeaters and small marsupials.