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Proteaceae
Old Man Banksia
Banksia serrata
Rugged endurance and ancient land.
- Family
- Proteaceae
- Genus
- Banksia
- Native to
- eastern Australia
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Type
- evergreen tree
- Height
- 15-50 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- sandy, acidic, well-drained
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 9-11
- Lifespan
- perennial; can live over 100 years
Did you know
- The large cylindrical flower spikes contain up to 1,000 individual florets arranged in a tight spiral.
- The old fruiting cones with their gaping follicles inspired the villainous 'Big Bad Banksia Men' in May Gibbs' children's books.
- It is a fire-adapted species — the woody follicles open to release seeds only after bushfire heat.
- Joseph Banks collected the first specimens at Botany Bay in 1770 during Captain Cook's voyage, and the genus was named for him.
- Honeybees and honeyeater birds are attracted to the copious nectar, which Indigenous Australians collected as a sweet drink.
Color meanings
0
wisdom of age
1
resilience
2
Australian heritage