Banksia ericifolia
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 Banksia ericifolia, orange flowers & long leaves, Australian National Botanic Gardens
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| Banksia ericifolia L.f. |
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The Heath-leaved Banksia (Banksia ericifolia), also known as the Lantern Banksia, is a much loved plant grown in Australian gardens on the east coast for many years.
Banksia ericifolia was one of the original Banksia species collected by Joseph Banks around Botany Bay in 1770 and was named by Carl Linnaeus the Younger, son of Carolus Linnaeus, in 1782.
It is the official plant of Sydney and is sometimes seen in amenity plantings and parks around the city. It was known as wadanggari (pron. "wa-tang-gre") to the local Eora and Darug inhabitants of the Sydney basin.[1]
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[edit] Distribution
In nature, the variety ericifolia is found on sandy soils around the Sydney basin, from Collaroy to the Illawarra and into the Blue Mountains to the west. It is a wonderful highlight to bushwalking around sandstone areas in Autumn and early winter. Good places to see it include the Kings Tableland walk in the Blue Mountains, Jennifer Street Boardwalk in Little Bay, and Royal National Park
Another variety, macrantha is found on the far north coast of New South Wales from Crowdy Bay northwards.
[edit] Description
Banksia ericifolia grows as a large shrub to 5 metres, though often smaller (1-2 metres) in exposed places such as coastal or mountain heathlands. The bark is a smooth grey colour with lenticels, and the foliage green. New growth is an attractive lime green colour. The dark green leaves are small and narrow, 9–20 mm long and up to 1 mm wide, generally with two small 'teeth' at the tips. Flowering is in autumn (or winter in cooler areas); the inflorescences, or flower spikes are 7 to 22 cm high and 5cm broad or so. The spikes are red or gold in overall colour, with styles golden, orange or orange-red, or burgundy. Some unusual forms have red styles on a whitish perianth which can be striking. Very occasionally, yellow flowered forms are seen.
Old flowers fall off the cones, often to reveal numerous small follicles. Banksia ericifolia responds to fire by seeding, the parent plant being killed. As plants take several years to flower in the wild it is very sensitive to too-frequent burns and has been eliminated in some areas where this occurs.
[edit] Taxonomy
B. ericifolia lies within the series Spicigerae. Its relatives include Banksia spinulosa and Banksia occidentalis. Hybrids with Banksia spinulosa have been recorded in the wild. Banksia "Giant Candles" was a chance garden hybrid between B. ericifolia and B. cunninghamii.
[edit] Cultivation
Tough enough to be used asa street plant in parts of Sydney, B. ericifolia is a fairly easy plant to grow given it is provided with the conditions it likes, namely a sandy well drained soil, sunny aspect and extra water over dryer periods until established, which may take up to two years, as it comes from an area with rainfall in predominantly warmer months. It is resistant to dieback, like most eastern banksias[2].
Flowering may take some years from seed; a minimum of 4 years is standard. Buying an advanced plant may hasten this process, as will getting a cutting-grown plant. Note that named cultivars (see below) are propagated by cuttings.
Pruning is important to give the plant an attractive habit and prevent it from becoming leggy. Hard-pruning below green growth is not advisable with this banksia as it lacks a lignotuber (unlike many other species)
Over the years, more and more cultivars of Banksia ericifolia have come on the market, including colour variants and dwarf forms (especially important as the original plant may reach a size of 5 metres in height). This helps enthusiasts choose a plant that is right for their conditions and tastes.
[edit] Cultivars and varieties
A registered cultivar, Banksia 'Limelight', has bright lime green foliage and orange blossoms.
There are a number of commercial varieties available, none of which have yet been registered under plant breeders' rights legislation:
B. ericifolia ‘Little Eric’ – a dwarf form to 1 or 2m, chance garden seedling, with maroon styles and whitish perianth, propagated by Richard Anderson of Merricks Nursery.
B. ericifolia ‘Bronzed Aussie’ - a white-budded terminal-flowering form to 2m, with honey-coloured pistils, and bronzed foliage. Propagated by Rod Parsons of Carawah Nursery, Hoddle Creek. A new release in 2003. Provenance unknown (seed donated to Rod’s father by SGAP member many years ago.)
B. ericifolia ‘Golden Girl’ - a golden yellow-flowered form (hidden wide fat flowers to 8cm high) to 1.5-1.8m, with blue-grey foliage. Propagated by Rod Parsons of Carawah Nursery. A new release in 2003. Provenance unknown (seed donated to Rod’s father by SGAP member many years ago.)
B. ericifolia ‘Red Rover’ – to 1.8m with a more open habit, this form has lime green foliage and scarlet-red flowers. Propagated by Rod Parsons of Carawah Nursery. A new release in 2004. Garden selection.
Banksia ericifolia ‘Kanangra Gold’ – Propagated by Kuranga Nursery, this is a gold flowered form to 4m from the Kanangra-Boyd region of the Blue Mountains. It is bushy and flowers are much paler than the regular ericifolia orange.
Banksia ericifolia ‘White candles/Christmas Candles’ - allegedly from somewhere in Sutherland shire in Sydney’s south. I like it as it has an unusual red style/white body colour combination somewhat reminiscent of B. coccinea. The buds are white and are a nice contrast to the red styles that emerge through them. An open shrub to presumably 3-4m. Apparently B. ericifolia ‘Ruby Clusters’ is similar in appearance.
Banksia ericifolia ‘St Pauls’ – a dwarf form to 2m with conspicuous red inflorescences which has been available from time to time from Cranebrook Nursery in Sydney’s west. Originally propagated from a plant cultivated at St Pauls’ secondary school (a local high school).
Banksia ericifolia ‘Purple Pygmy’ – a dwarf form propagated by Kuranga Nursery to 1m with purplish foliage with claret flowers. It only flowers rarely and is difficult to propagate. Also, due to low demand it is only propagated in low numbers.
Banksia ericifolia macrantha ‘Creamed Honey’ – so called as its flowers are the colour of creamed honey, this pale flowered variant was found at Crowdy Head on the NSW north coast. Propagated by Kuranga nursery it grows to 4 or 5m with a more open habit. Notable in that it is the northern subspecies of Banksia ericifolia.
[edit] References
- ^ Troy, Jakelin (1993). The sydney language. Jakelin Troy, Canberra.
- ^ McCredie TA, Dixon KW, Sivasithamparam K. (1985) Variability in the resistance of Banksia L.f. species to Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands. Australian Journal of Botany. (33): 629-637.
- George, A. S. (1981). "The Genus Banksia". Nuytsia 3 (3): 239–473.
- George, A. S. (1999). “Banksia”, Wilson, Annette (ed.): Flora of Australia: Volume 17B: Proteaceae 3: Hakea to Dryandra. CSIRO Publishing / Australian Biological Resources Study, 175–251. ISBN 0-643-06454-0.
- Harden, Gwen (2002). “Banksia”, Harden, Gwen (ed): Flora of New South Wales: Volume 2 (Revised Edition). New South Wales University Press, Kensington, 82–86. ISBN 0-86840-156-0.
- Liber C (2004). "Update on Eastern Cultivars". Banksia Study Group Newsletter 5 (1): 3–5. ISSN 1444-285X.
[edit] External links
- Banksia ericifolia at Flora of Australia Online, Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australia.
