Banksia Integrifolia: a great choice for your coastal native garden
Posted by John Zeaiter on
Would you like to grow Australian native plants but live in a relatively exposed coastal position?
There are many beautiful native plants that will still thrive under these conditions, some of these plants are available as native tube stock at Evergreen Growers.
Native plants tend to be very adaptable to a range of conditions, another reason why you will always find a number of natives that can be grown under almost any conditions.
See our previous article Why have an Australian native garden? which lists the benefits of growing natives.
One of the native plants (available as native tube stock at Evergreen Growers) is the hardy and popular Coast Banksia (Banksia Integrifolia) -- the plant we'd like to discuss today. The Coast Banksia is not only a stunning variety of the tough and stunning Banksia family, but it is also suited to weather patterns experienced more on the coast.
An evergreen Australian Native, the shrub/small tree will tailor its growth to suit the type of conditions in which it is planted. In the case of a coastal garden, the Coast Banksia will adapt to strong, windy conditions by growing to a smaller size. In general it can vary in height from 5-15 metres in height and around three metres in diameter. Well-known for its large, bright, lime-yellow bottlebrush-shaped flowers that are wonderful bird attractors to your garden, the Coast Banksia's seed heads stay on the tree for many years adding an ornamental feel to the tree. Gardeners with a keen sense of history may be interested to know that the Coast Banksia was one of the four original banksia species collected by the famous Sir Joseph Banks (after whom the species was named).
The collection of the Coast Banksia variety was carried out as Banks sailed with Captain Cook as the ship's botanist on their epic voyage on the HMS Endeavour in 1770.
Evergreen Growers advise that the Coast Banksia has a vigorous habit which makes it ideal for native plantings, screening and coastal gardens. The plant is available as native tube stock which comes in its own 75mm pot and is a height of 20-25cm tall.