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June 19, 2005 : Banksia baxteri
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Keywords: Proteaceae | Banksia baxteri R. Br. | Australia
Today's photograph was contributed by a co-worker, Eric La Fountaine. If you participate on UBC Botanical Garden's discussion forums, you'll know Eric as a frequent contributor and helpful administrator.
Eric visited Australia last year, and snapped this photograph of bird's nest banksia (also known as woollybear banksia (or not, see comments)). Banksia baxteri grows natively in tall shrublands with sandy soils along the south coast of Western Australia. This region is one of the world's “biodiversity hotspots”.
We've successfully (if temporarily) grown species of Banksia at UBC, and to our knowledge, the flowers we saw on Banksia marginata in 2002 and 2003 were the first occasions that a Banksia has flowered in Canada. Sadly for us, the plants were tender to the harsh winter of early 2004 and have since died. That hasn't stopped Brent Hine from acquiring other banksias which he believes will be hardier - all in the spirit of science and horticultural experimentation.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at June 19, 2005 12:00 AM
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Comments
Posted by: Colleen Kilkenny at June 19, 2005 7:48 AM
What a far out photograph!!! Looks as though it will shred or eat anything that comes neer it.To bad we can,t get plants/shrubs like these in ILLINOIS.
Posted by: jeff scarsdale at June 19, 2005 6:25 PM
This photo shows the deeply serrated linear leaves characteristic of several Banksia species. Curiously the Canadian shrub Comptonia has remarkably similar leaves - a good example of parallel evolution.
Posted by: Quentin Cronk at June 19, 2005 7:43 PM
I LOVE this site! I wonder if it's related to the Eucylptis (pardon my spelling)
Posted by: laura at June 19, 2005 9:46 PM
i would love to try growing this where i live in del mar CA. i think the soil and climate might be right
Posted by: pam stanton at June 20, 2005 9:49 AM
Love these pictures & information about all these plants Wish I could grow them !
Posted by: Catherine at June 20, 2005 10:45 AM
laura: No, it's not related to Eucalyptus, which is in the family Myrtaceae. Myrtaceae and Proteaceae are quite distantly related.
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin 
at June 21, 2005 3:42 PM
I love this flower, Banksia. Such a strange- and wonderful-looking flower.
Posted by: Vilasinee Arthayukti at June 25, 2005 8:52 PM
Please note that the Flower of the day is not commonly known as the woolybear banksia (that name is reserved for the flower spikes of Banksia baueri).
The photo of the day does not really flatter the species as the individual floral parts (perianths styles & bracts) have not yet opened to show their full beauty.
For a comprehensive guide to all the banksias (with beautiful photos) see my book “A Field Guide to Banksias”, published in Australia.
Posted by: Geoff Watton at July 2, 2005 12:23 AM
Geoff, thanks for the comments. My reference for the “incorrect” common name was Illawara Grevillea Park. As you almost certainly know, common names are not reserved and can be applied willy-nilly, so it may indeed be that some people call this species by that name - but I agree with you, Banksia baueri is far more deserving of that common name than Banksia baxteri.
I'd be quite happy to follow-up this photograph with a photograph of yours showing the plant in full flower if you like!
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin at July 2, 2005 2:21 AM
Greetings! I have a Banksia baxteri growing in my front yard that I purchased at UCSC Arboretum , which specializes in Australian and South African flora, and English heathers, all which grow beautifully in Santa Cruz, California. My Banksia is one year old (since I planted it about two feet high) and has two perfect flowers and is about 3.5 feet high. It is my all time favorite plant-- in a gopher basket, of course! I think you could probably grow it in Del Mar, a similar climate, but warmer, especially in the winter. How big does it get, by the way?
Posted by: Sharon King at September 15, 2008 9:45 AM
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Looks like the sun.