Common name: Baxter's Banksia

Family: PROTEACEAE

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Origin of Scientific Name

Banksia: after Sir Joseph Banks (1743–1820), famous English botanist and naturalist with a prolific list of botanical discoveries credited to him.

baxteri: after William Baxter, an English gardener/botanical collector, who collected the type specimen near King George Sound in WA in 1829.

Description

Banksia baxteri is a medium to large shrub growing approximately 1.7 to 4 m in height. It occurs naturally along the south coast of Western Australia from the Stirling Range in the west to the Oldfield River in the east.

This species is non-lignotuberous, hence not fire tolerant and totally reliant on seed for regeneration. It has very attractive, grey-green, severely triangularly-lobed leaves.

While most banksia inflorescences appear as cylindrical spikes, Baxter’s Banksia is rather unique with its yellow-green, hemispherical terminal heads to 4 cm long by 8.5 cm wide. These flowers generally appear from December to May.

The striking, long-stemmed terminal inflorescences make this species very popular with the cut-flower industry and they are often dyed different colours.

Horticultural tips

• It is one of the easier banksias to grow, primarily by seed.
• Prefers deep, sandy, well-drained soil.
• It responds well to light pruning after flowering, but pruning too hard can kill them.
• Tolerant of extended dry periods and frost once established.
• This species is fast growing and ideal for screening and windbreaks or can be contained by planting in pots.

For more horticultural tips view our Plant Notes section.

View in Kings Park

Visit Kings Park and Botanic Garden to see Banksia baxteri growing in the Banksia Garden and in the Stirling Range flora Garden bed (refer to map).

Want more information?

Refer to the profile for this plant on the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions' FloraBase online herbarium.