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Product profile - Banksia
June 10th, 2019

Banksia is the subject of this Product Profile, read along to learn all about this grand Australian powerhouse. 
 

ORIGIN


In the 18th and 19th century many expeditions set sail to unknown places. Driven by curiosity and adventure, explorers set out to every corner of this world in the hopes of making the next big discovery. Around 1770 an expedition from England to the faraway land of Australia (which was officially discovered in 1606) took place. On board were naturalists Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. Daniel Solander. Once these gentleman touched the Australian soil, they went to work and discovered more than 1000 samples of (until then) unknown Australian plants and flowers. Banksia is a plant that is easily recognizable by its cone-shaped flower spikes and its (often) striking colour. Ultimately, banksia ended up being named after one of its discoverers: Sir Joseph Banks.

In Banksia-homeland Australia, this flower is an important food source for many animals, including birds, bees and bats who all love to drink from the sweet nectar the flower produces. The banksia genus includes about 170 different species, which can vary from large shrubs, to massive trees. Banksia is found in many places around Australia, except for the dessert. Banksia belongs to the proteaceae family. Nieces and nephews of banksia include protea and leucospermum amongst others.

MYTHOLOGY

In Aboriginal culture, people drank from the nectar the flower produces. But consumption was subject to strict rules. There even was a taboo on consuming the nectar too early in the season. When a person did this anyway, it was believed that heavy rainfall was imminent and the flower would no longer produce nectar for the rest of the season. The real reason as to why this taboo was created, was probably an attempt to frighten the people. Drinking nectar from a banksia that is not yet ripe, causes severe stomach cramps or even worse.
 

COLOURS & VARIETIES

Banksias within our assortment are supplied from Australia and South Africa. Banksia is available in multiple varieties: ‘banksia hookerana’ has a large flower cone and is available in various (bright) colours. The leaves of this variety are serrated, long and firm. ‘Banksia coccinea’ has a smaller flower cone. At first glance banksia coccinea looks a lot like the (pincushion) leucospermum flower. This variety is white and red coloured. The hookerana and coccinea variety look especially great when combined with protea, eucalyptus, grevillea and scabiosa for example. Banksia cones are also available within our range. These cones have a fantastic decorative value.

CARE

When taken care of properly banksia has a vase life of about 3 weeks. Make sure that during these weeks the flower doesn’t go without water in the vase. After this period, you can enjoy the beauty of the banksia more. Surprise! The flower has a second life. When you see that the banksia starts to dry, put a little less water in the vase. When the flower has dried completely, you can remove the water and enjoy banksia for as long as you like!
 

AVAILABILITY

The current banksia range is available here,  or contact one of our product specialists.

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