Banksia ‘Narrow Nugget’

Banksia 'Narrow Nugget' (Banksia spinulosa 'Narrow Nugget') is a compact upright form of the hairpin banksia, holding to about 1.5m tall and only 1m wide. It carries the full sized golden and orange flower spikes of its parent on a shrub small enough for a suburban front garden or a large pot. Honeyeaters find it within days of the first spike opening, mostly through autumn and winter when little else is flowering.

Why you'll love it

• Full sized flowers on a small shrub. The golden orange spikes match those on a 3m banksia, borne on a plant that stays 1.5m by 1m.
• A magnet for honeyeaters. Nectar rich spikes bring wattlebirds, honeyeaters and lorikeets in through the colder months.
• Narrow enough for tight beds. At 1m wide it fits a strip beside a path where most native shrubs need constant cutting back.
• Genuinely tough. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, salt tolerant and happy in poor sandy soil, which is where it grows naturally.

Where it works best

Mass planting and borders. Plant 80cm apart for mass planting. At that spacing the upright forms merge into a continuous band while each plant keeps the airflow it needs.

Feature planting in a small garden. A single plant works as a low focal point in a native bed, giving the garden something to do in autumn and winter.

Pots and coastal gardens. A 400mm or wider pot with free draining native mix puts the flowers at eye level on a balcony. Salt tolerance also suits exposed front gardens near the water.

Growing Banksia 'Narrow Nugget' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering and the tightest habit. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens and is frost hardy once established. Very humid tropical gardens are the weak point, where constant wet encourages root problems.

Soil. Sharp drainage is the most important thing. Sandy or gravelly soil is ideal and poor soil is no obstacle. On clay, plant high on a raised mound and resist enriching the hole, because banksias resent rich wet ground.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring and avoid general fertilisers, blood and bone and lawn foods. Banksias are sensitive to phosphorus and a well meant feed can kill an established plant.

Pruning. Tip prune lightly from a young age to build density, and cut spent spikes back to a leafy node after flowering. Avoid cutting into bare old wood, since it does not reliably reshoot.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in tubes, 140mm packs of ten and 200mm packs of six. Tubes are small, inexpensive and establish very well, which makes them the practical choice for a mass planting of any size. The 140mm and 200mm plants are bushier and give a filled out bed a season sooner.

Do not expect flowers immediately. Tube stock generally takes two to three years to reach flowering size, while 200mm plants often produce their first spikes in the second season. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare the full banksia range
• The best native plants for attracting birds
• Browse Australian native shrubs
• Find more plants suited to small gardens

Common questions

What fertiliser is safe to use?

Only a low phosphorus fertiliser formulated for Australian natives. Standard garden fertilisers, blood and bone and lawn feeds carry enough phosphorus to damage or kill a banksia, so keep them away from the root zone.

How far apart should I plant them?

Space them 80cm apart for a massed planting or a low informal hedge. For single feature plants, allow the full 1m width plus a little breathing room so air moves through the foliage.

When does it flower?

Mainly through autumn and winter, which is why it is such a useful bird plant. Flowering builds as the shrub matures, so a young plant may carry only a few spikes in its first season.