Banksia Honey Pots

Banksia 'Honey Pots' (Banksia spinulosa 'Honey Pots') is a dwarf hairpin banksia that stays low and wide: about 1m tall and 1.5m across. Through autumn and winter it carries honey gold flower spikes held right through the foliage, and every one of them brings honeyeaters into the garden. It asks for sun, drainage and nothing else.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers when the garden is quiet. Golden spikes through autumn and winter, at eye level in a low shrub rather than high in a tree.
• Honeyeaters find it fast. The nectar is heavy and the birds work it daily, which is the main reason gardeners plant this one.
• Low and spreading. At 1m by 1.5m it fills a bank or a bed without ever blocking a view or a window.
• Genuinely tough. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, salt tolerant and content in poor sandy soil where richer plants fail.
• Almost no maintenance. A light tip prune after flowering is all it needs, and it resents being fed.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 1m apart for a low, continuous cover across a bank or a wide bed. At that spacing the plants knit together within two to three seasons.

Borders, rockeries and coastal gardens. The spreading habit suits the front of a bed or a gravel rockery, and salt tolerance means it can sit in the front line of a coastal garden.

Pots. A 400mm or larger pot with a gritty native mix works well on a sunny patio, provided it never sits in a saucer of water.

Growing banksia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the best flowering and the densest habit. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens and is frost hardy once established.

Soil. Sandy, gravelly, poor soil is ideal. Drainage is the one requirement, so on clay plant on a raised mound with coarse material worked through the bed. Use a coarse mulch and keep it off the stem.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. Do not use standard fertiliser: banksias are sensitive to phosphorus, so use a low phosphorus native formulation sparingly, or nothing at all.

Pruning. Tip prune lightly after flowering to keep it compact. Do not cut hard into bare old wood, which it will not reshoot from reliably.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold as tube stock and in 140mm packs of ten. Tubes are young plants, the value option for a large mass planting, and they establish quickly because the root system has not been disturbed. The 140mm packs give you a bigger plant with a season's head start, which suits a smaller bed where every plant shows.

Both sizes travel well, as there is little soft growth to damage. Plant soon after arrival, water in and keep the soil damp for the first month, then taper off. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete banksia care guide
• Browse the full banksia range
• Bird attracting plants for Australian gardens
• Salt tolerant plants for coastal gardens

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

One metre apart for a low mass planting. The plants spread to about 1.5m, so at that spacing they overlap slightly and cover the ground without leaving gaps.

Can I feed it with normal fertiliser?

No. Banksias are sensitive to phosphorus and a standard garden fertiliser can kill them. Use a native specific low phosphorus product, or rely on compost and mulch alone.

Will it handle frost and coastal wind?

Both. It is frost hardy once established and salt tolerant, which is why it works from cool temperate gardens through to exposed coastal blocks.

When does it flower?

Mainly autumn and winter, with the timing shifting a few weeks either way depending on climate. Spent flower cones can be left on the plant or trimmed off.