BANKSIA. Australia. A diverse group of shrubs and trees of the protea family, many of them highly ornamental. Depending on species, they may grow prostrate or erect, sparse or bushy, and have simple or partially divided leaves. Usually the leaves are densely hairy on at least the undersurface. Their most striking feature is the dense ball-shaped to cylindrical flower clusters, often in odd shades of gold to brown. Even the spent clusters are decorative and often used, with or without the strange, flattened seed pods which finally develop, in dried flower arrangements. They fill a variety of niches in the landscape, usually delighting in sun, well drained soil, and only occasional deep watering once established. Hardiness varies.
ericifolia. One of the most interesting of the group. In this form, it normally grows nearly erect to 10-15' tall. The twigs are more slender than those of many species and are lined with brushes of very narrow, almost heath-like leaves, dark green above and whitish beneath. Flower clusters vary in both size and color for the species, but are 6-8" long and earthy orange in this form. It is easily grown and hardy to 18oF or less.
praemorsa. A bold, upright shrub, usually in the 8-15' range. It has upswept trunks and stiff shoots closely set with large, toothed leaves, cut off square at the ends. The flower clusters are up to 1' long, cylindrical and held upright at the shoot tips. The flowers are golden yellow at first but become reddish with age. Apparently hardy to 18oF or less.
spinulosa ‘Schnapper Pt.’ is a dense, spreading shrub. It reaches 2-4’ in height, up to 5’ (perhaps more) in width after several years. Narrow leaves with downrolled margins are closely set around the stems. The leaves are bright to deep green above, paler beneath, and 1-2½” long. Dense clusters of red and honey-colored flowers stand upright from the mature stems in fall and winter. This is a bright, clean-looking foliage shrub throughout the year, useful alone or grouped in shrubby borders and on open banks. Hardy to around 20oF. This is one of the first trio of introductions resulting from a joint U.C. Santa Cruz Arboretum/Koala Blooms program, of which we are privileged to be a part.