Banksia ‘Cherry Candles’

Banksia 'Cherry Candles' (Banksia spinulosa 'Cherry Candles') is a dwarf hairpin banksia that fits where the species never could. It holds at about 1m tall and 1m wide, and through the cooler months it pushes up upright flower spikes in deep red and orange that honeyeaters strip one after another. Fine needle foliage keeps it neat between flushes, and it asks for almost nothing.

Why you'll love it

• A banksia sized for a real garden. One metre by one metre, so you get the flower spikes and the birds without giving up half a bed to a large shrub.
• Red and orange candles in the cool months. The upright spikes hold for weeks and arrive when most of the garden has stopped performing.
• Honeyeaters work it daily. A nectar source at a height small birds can use safely, and the single best reason most people plant a banksia.
• Tough where it counts. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, comfortable in poor soil and tolerant of coastal salt, so it suits exposed and neglected corners.

Where it works best

Mass planting and borders. Plant 80cm apart for a low mass planting. At that spacing the plants touch without crowding, and the flower spikes read as a continuous band rather than scattered dots.

Pots and containers. A pot 400mm or wider with a free draining native mix works well, and container growing solves the drainage problem for anyone gardening on heavy clay.

Growing Banksia Cherry Candles in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering and the tightest habit. It grows across subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it is frost hardy, so cold southern and inland winters are within range.

Soil. Free draining soil is not negotiable. Sandy, gravelly and lean soils are ideal, and poor ground is genuinely preferred over rich. On clay, build a mound 200mm to 300mm high and plant into that.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser sparingly in early spring, or skip feeding altogether. Standard fertilisers and manures carry enough phosphorus to damage banksia roots.

Pruning. Prune lightly after flowering to keep the shape compact, cutting into green growth rather than bare wood. This species carries a lignotuber at the base, so it recovers from a harder cut better than most banksias.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in three sizes. Tube stock is a young plant and the value option for a mass planting, establishing quickly for its size. The 140mm plants come as a pack of ten and the 200mm plants as a pack of six, both already branched and closer to flowering size on arrival.

Banksias resent root disturbance, so plant them without teasing the root ball and water them in well. Some leaf drop after transit is normal. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Expect a quiet couple of months while the roots move out, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The best bird attracting natives for Australian gardens
• More native plants with red flowers
• Browse the full banksia range
• Compare other Australian native shrubs

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Eighty centimetres apart for a low mass planting. Each plant reaches about a metre across, so that spacing lets them meet and cover the ground without competing hard enough to thin each other out.

What fertiliser is safe to use?

A low phosphorus native fertiliser only, and sparingly. Banksias are among the most phosphorus sensitive plants in Australian gardens, and general purpose fertilisers or manures are the usual reason a healthy plant declines.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes. Use a pot 400mm or wider with a free draining native potting mix and put it in full sun. This is a good option if your garden soil is heavy clay, since drainage is the main thing banksias will not tolerate.