Fern Leaved Banksia

Fern Leaved Banksia (Banksia oblongifolia) is a low, wide native shrub for gardens where a tall banksia would be too much. It grows 1m to 3m tall and 2.5m to 3m across, wears finely toothed leaves that open deep bronze, and carries pale yellow flower spikes in autumn and winter. Frost and salt spray do not trouble it.

Why you'll love it

• Foliage that changes colour. New growth emerges deep bronze, often pink and felted, then matures to grey green with a finely toothed edge.
• Flowers when the garden quietens. Pale yellow spikes open in autumn and winter and feed nectar loving birds and other wildlife.
• A friendly shape. Low and wide rather than tall, it sits in a border or a large pot without swamping its neighbours.
• Frost and salt spray tolerant. It copes with cold gardens and coastal ones alike, which few flowering shrubs can claim.
• Recovers after fire. It regenerates after fire, useful in gardens that back onto bush.

Where it works best

Borders. Plant 2m apart for a continuous, mounding border that knits together within a few seasons. Stretch to 3m if each shrub is to stand alone as a specimen.

Large pots. It adapts well to containers. Use a free draining native potting mix in a sunny position.

Coastal and cold gardens. Salt spray and frost both sit within its tolerance, so it suits exposed boundaries that defeat softer shrubs.

Wildlife gardens. The autumn and winter flowers fill a gap for honeyeaters and other nectar feeders when fewer shrubs are in bloom.

Growing Fern Leaved Banksia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun or partial shade. Its natural range runs along the east coast from Wide Bay to the Shoalhaven, so it is at home in humid subtropical gardens and handles the frosts of cooler districts too.

Soil. It wants a well drained, sandy to sandy loam soil that is not alkaline. In limy or heavy clay ground it struggles, so either mound the bed with sandy soil or grow it in a large pot.

Water and feed. Water regularly through the first summer, then leave it to the weather. Feed once in spring with a slow release native fertiliser. Fern Leaved Banksia is very sensitive to phosphorus, so the phosphorus ratio on the label must be under 3 per cent.

Pruning. Shape it lightly after flowering. Keep cuts within leafy growth, because banksias seldom reshoot from bare old wood.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Fern Leaved Banksia as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly, in 140mm pots in packs of 10, in 200mm pots in packs of 6 and as single 300mm pots. Tube stock suits a long border on a budget, while the 200mm and 300mm plants already have the beginnings of their rounded shape. Expect bronze new growth within weeks in warm weather.

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

• How to grow banksias and feed them safely
• See the whole banksia collection
• More frost hardy plants for cold gardens
• Bird attracting natives for Australian gardens

Common questions

Why does the fertiliser label matter so much?

Banksias evolved on very poor soils and absorb phosphorus too readily. Ordinary fertiliser can poison them, so use only a native slow release product with phosphorus under 3 per cent.

Will it grow in my clay soil?

Not easily. It prefers sandy to sandy loam soil that is not alkaline. On clay, build a raised mound of sandy soil or plant it in a large pot of native mix.

Can I keep it in a pot?

Yes. It makes a good potted plant in full sun with free draining native mix. Water the pot more often than you would a garden planting and feed lightly in spring.