{"product_id":"red-rover-heath-banksia-banksia-ericifolia-red-rover","title":"Red Rover Heath Banksia - Banksia ericifolia 'Red Rover'","description":"\u003cp\u003eRed Rover Heath Banksia (\u003cem\u003eBanksia ericifolia\u003c\/em\u003e 'Red Rover') is a native screening shrub that grows to about 2m high and 2m wide. Its fine, heathery foliage carries bronze red flower spikes up to 25cm long through autumn and winter, deeper in colour than the species and set off by an open, domed habit. Birds find it quickly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy you'll love it\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDeep red flowers.\u003c\/strong\u003e The cylindrical spikes are red terracotta rather than the usual orange, and the open habit lets you see every one.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA long flowering season.\u003c\/strong\u003e Blooms run through autumn and winter, when little else is feeding the birds.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrighter foliage.\u003c\/strong\u003e The leaf colour is fresher than the species form, so the shrub looks good between flushes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSalt and frost tolerant.\u003c\/strong\u003e It copes with salt spray and frost, which widens where it can be grown.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSculptural seed pods.\u003c\/strong\u003e The cones that follow the flowers are as decorative as the spikes themselves.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhere it works best\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScreening.\u003c\/strong\u003e Plant 1.5m apart for a loose screen about 2m high. The open habit gives a naturalistic, see through screen rather than a solid wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBird gardens.\u003c\/strong\u003e Honeyeaters and other nectar feeders turn up when it flowers, so place it where you can watch from a window or seat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCoastal gardens.\u003c\/strong\u003e Salt spray is no problem, and sandy soil suits it well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eGrowing Red Rover Heath Banksia in Australia\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePosition and climate.\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun with good air movement. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens and tolerates frost and salt spray. Too much shade means few flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoil.\u003c\/strong\u003e Well drained sandy to sandy loam soil, and not alkaline. On clay, plant on a mound 20cm to 30cm high, and mulch with pine bark or gravel rather than manure based products.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater and feed.\u003c\/strong\u003e Water regularly through the first summer until established, then taper off. Feed once in spring with a slow release native fertiliser with phosphorus under 3 per cent, because this banksia is very sensitive to it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePruning.\u003c\/strong\u003e Trim lightly behind spent flower spikes to keep it dense. Cut only where the stem still carries leaves, since fine leaved banksias seldom reshoot from bare wood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat to expect when it arrives\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe sell Red Rover Heath Banksia as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly and is the economical way to plant a screen in numbers. Expect a small, tidy plant that puts on its first real growth in the warmer months. It is a shrub rather than an instant hedge, so allow a couple of seasons for it to fill out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tube is supplied by our grower, so availability comes and goes. A sold out tube simply means none is ready today: press the notify button on this page and we will email you the day it returns.\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=\"\/collections\/banksias\"\u003eBrowse the full banksia range\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hedging-screening\"\u003eHedging and screening plants\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/bird-attracting\"\u003eMore bird attracting plants\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/blog\/banksia-care-guide\"\u003eHow to care for banksias\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCommon questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow tall does Red Rover get?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout 1.8m to 2m high and the same wide. It is an open, domed shrub rather than a dense, clipped hedge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy must I avoid ordinary fertiliser?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBanksias evolved on very low phosphorus soils, and the phosphorus in many garden fertilisers can burn or kill them. Use a native fertiliser with phosphorus under 3 per cent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow is it different from the species?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRed Rover has larger, deeper red flowers, brighter foliage and a more open habit than the ordinary heath banksia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Nursery Near Me","offers":[{"title":"Tube (Backorder)","offer_id":67790211580223,"sku":"BAN-ERI-REDROV-tube","price":19.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0691\/2917\/5359\/files\/red-rover-heath-banksia-banksia-ericifolia-red-rover.jpg?v=1792196381","url":"https:\/\/nurserynearme.com.au\/products\/red-rover-heath-banksia-banksia-ericifolia-red-rover","provider":"Nursery Near Me","version":"1.0","type":"link"}