{"product_id":"golden-girl-heath-banksia-banksia-ericifolia-golden-girl","title":"Golden Girl Heath Banksia - Banksia ericifolia 'Golden Girl'","description":"\u003cp\u003eGolden Girl Heath Banksia (\u003cem\u003eBanksia ericifolia\u003c\/em\u003e 'Golden Girl') is a dense, upright native shrub about 1.8m tall and wide, with fine blue grey heath like foliage and big golden flower spikes from late autumn to early spring. It makes a good coastal hedge, and its nectar feeds honeyeaters through the leanest months of the year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy you'll love it\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGold flowers in winter.\u003c\/strong\u003e Fat, barrel shaped golden spikes open from late autumn to early spring, when most gardens are quiet.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFine blue grey foliage.\u003c\/strong\u003e Heathery leaves give a soft, silvery backdrop all year, on a plant that holds dense growth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCompact and well behaved.\u003c\/strong\u003e An upright habit at about 1.8m suits smaller gardens better than the larger banksias.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBuilt for hard sites.\u003c\/strong\u003e Frost hardy, drought tolerant and suited to coastal conditions, it handles sites that defeat many shrubs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA feast for wildlife.\u003c\/strong\u003e Native birds and small mammals forage among the foliage for winter nectar and shelter.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhere it works best\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCoastal hedging.\u003c\/strong\u003e Plant 1.2m apart in a single row. At that spacing the dense shrubs merge into a solid, informal hedge about 1.8m high, with room to avoid crowding at the base.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeature planting.\u003c\/strong\u003e Set a group of three at the same spacing, or a single specimen where the winter flowers can be seen from a window.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWildlife gardens.\u003c\/strong\u003e Pair it with grevilleas, correas and native grasses for nectar and cover in every season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSmaller gardens.\u003c\/strong\u003e A mature width of 1.8m is manageable in a courtyard or a wide bed, as long as you allow it room.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eGrowing Golden Girl Heath Banksia in Australia\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePosition and climate.\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun. It is frost hardy and drought tolerant once established, and suits subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens, including coastal sites.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoil.\u003c\/strong\u003e Choose well drained soil that is neutral to acid in pH. Sweet, limey ground is a poor match for it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater and feed.\u003c\/strong\u003e Water regularly through the first summer, then let established plants cope with most seasons on their own. Feed with a slow release native fertiliser in spring with a phosphorus ratio under 3%, since heath banksia is phosphorus sensitive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePruning.\u003c\/strong\u003e Tip prune lightly after flowering to keep the shape dense, and avoid cutting into bare wood, which banksias are slow to reshoot from.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat to expect when it arrives\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe sell Golden Girl Heath Banksia as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly once planted. Tube stock is the economical way to plant a hedge line, but the plants start small, so allow a few seasons for them to fill out and flower freely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlants travel upright and settle in well. Water them in on arrival and plant into free draining soil in a sunny position.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePlant care guides and related reading\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/blog\/banksia-care-guide\"\u003eHow to choose and grow banksias\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/banksias\"\u003eBrowse the full banksia range\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/blog\/planning-your-coastal-feature-garden\"\u003ePlanning a coastal feature garden\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/best-hedging-plants\"\u003eCompare the best hedging plants\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCommon questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow far apart should I plant it?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a hedge, 1.2m apart. For a single specimen, give it at least 1.8m of clear width so it can develop its full rounded shape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDoes it need a special fertiliser?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. Heath banksia is phosphorus sensitive, so use a slow release native fertiliser with a phosphorus ratio under 3%, applied once in spring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWill birds really visit it?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. The golden spikes carry nectar through winter, and honeyeaters and other native birds forage among the foliage for it and for shelter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Nursery Near Me","offers":[{"title":"Tube","offer_id":67787167367487,"sku":"BAN-ERI-GOLDEN-tube","price":19.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0691\/2917\/5359\/files\/golden-girl-heath-banksia-banksia-ericifolia-golden-girl.jpg?v=1792149438","url":"https:\/\/nurserynearme.com.au\/products\/golden-girl-heath-banksia-banksia-ericifolia-golden-girl","provider":"Nursery Near Me","version":"1.0","type":"link"}