KINGDOM: Plantae
ORDER: Proteales
FAMILY: Proteaceae
TRIBE: Bansieae
GENUS: Banksia
There are 173 Banksia species, and all but one occur 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.
Easily recognised by their spikes and fruiting ‘cones’ and heads, they range in size from woody prostrate shrubs to trees up to 30 metres tall.
Banksias are heavy producers of nectar so are excellent plants to encourage birds, bats, rats, possums, and many invertabrates to our gardens.
The Banksia flowers are of huge benefit to the Australian nursery and floristy industries and are quite successfully commercially grown for these purposes.
South western Australia contains the greatest diversity of banksias, with 60 species recorded. They are also an important part of the flora of Australia’s eastern coast. Few banksias are found in the arid regions of Australia or in the rainforests of the eastern coast.
Dentata are a distinctive and iconic feature shrub/small tree and is the NT’s only native Banksia. Beautiful large bright yellow decorative flowers which can be licked or sucked for nectar with green-white holly shaped leaves.
Salicinae are described as a species with linear (or nearly so) leaves with hoary grey undersides.
