Banksias are everyone’s favourites, and I’ve not met a person yet who doesn’t want a banksia, or three, in their garden. Their beautiful stiff bottlebrush-type flower spikes are so showy. Their gnarled woody banksia-cones are so decorative. Their foliage is so interesting. And their (often twisted) architectural form is a relaxed and welcome change from the almost-too-perfect symmetry of the typical garden plant.

So… what banksias to grow here in FNQ?

Well, be careful what books and magazines you read, or you might end up very disillusioned and disappointed.

Most glossy books and magazines are written for the southern Australian market, based around the capital cities of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne where the great bulk of Australians live. And they feature all those out-of-this-world banskias from WA which just make your mouth water looking at the photos. The trouble is that the climate of WA and southern Australia is pretty well the opposite of our climate here in FNQ. Where they have hot dry summers, we have hot wet summers. Where they have cold wet winters, we have warm dry winters. So plants adapted to the climate of southern and western Australian simply can’t cope up here, and usually melt away pretty rapidly when they encounter there first tropical wet season.

So, forget about growing the southern banksia species, and look closer to home. Luckily for us, there’s some beautiful tropical banksias perfectly suited to our climate.

Our favourite is the Hairpin Banksia (Banksia spinulosa), because it’s easy to grow and makes a fantastic display. If you have a dampish spot, then the Swamp Banksia (Banksia robur) is just perfect. And its huge (absolutely huge) dark green serrated leaves, olive green flowers (yes, olive green!) and twisted shape make a stunning statement in your garden. The Hinchinbrook Banksia (Banksia plagiocarpa) is popular amongst flower growers for its blue (yes, blue!) flower spikes. The Mountain Banksia (Banksia aquilonia) loves a cooler, shadier garden. And the Cape York Banksia (Banksia dentata) thrives in sandy soil.

The trouble with banksias is that they’re addictive. Just ask local botanical artist Ian Wallace who set out on a mission to paint every one of Australia’s 80-odd banksia species. Mission complete (wow!), he is now exhibiting his wonderful paintings in the gallery at the Cooktown Botanic Gardens throughout the month of May. If you’re a sucker for banksias, or native flora in general, or just love to feast your eyes on exceptional art-work, then what better excuse could you need to head off to Cooktown in the next week or two?

You’ll be delighted to know that Ian has compiled copies of his beautiful paintings into handy Field Guides, complete with descriptive text. If you’re the slightest bit interested in banksias, then “An Illustrated Guide to Eastern Banksias” by Ian Wallace is a must-have.

Google “Ian Wallace Banksias” and have a browse at www.ianwallacebanksias.com.au.

Do you have a banksia in your garden?

Happy gardening (and see you at Yuruga!),

Peter and Ann

Of all the native Australian plants, I’d have to say the Banksias are probably my favourite. And I know there are many other people out there who are Banksia fans, eager to collect as many species as possible. The only downside is that living up here in the tropics we are limited to growing only those species that can handle our very humid wet season. If you’ve ever tried growing a Southern species or worse still, one from W.A. you would have learnt that they do very well in the dry season, but once the wet-season starts, they go down-hill very quickly until all that’s left are some soggy black leaves around a desiccated stem. The good news is that there are a number of very diverse species that grow very well up here in the Far North. These are our own tropical Banksias which people down south or in WA have trouble growing.

At last count I’ve planted more than 70 banksias in my garden. I have to admit, most of these are local varieties of the Hair-pin Banksia (Banksia spinulosa) but that’s simply because these are my all-time favourites. Even though they can be neglected and left un-pruned, they’ll grow into a decent shape and reward you with spectacular showy flowers each year. I should also point out that the local birds will appreciate the abundance of nectar they produce. In my opinion they are almost the perfect native plant for the home garden. They’re small, require very little maintenance, are drought tolerant, will grow in poor soils and on difficult rocky sites. They’ll even attract birds with their large spectacular flower spikes. What more could you want? They are even a curious plant because if they’re grown from wild collected seed like the ones at Yuruga Nursery, you won’t know what colour the flowers are going to be until they come into bloom. Colours normally vary from orange to yellow, but very occasionally a red or white flowering plant will appear in the mix.

There are a handful of other Banksia species that have proven to grow well in the tropics. The Hinchinbrook Banksia, (Banksia plagiocarpa) which as the name implies comes from Hinchinbrook Island. It’s a medium sized shrub or small tree that may grow as tall as 4 meters in cultivation. The most interesting feature of this plant is the colour of its flowers, they are a sort of blue grey which has lead to it also being called the Blue Banksia. Though I have to say, recognising the blue in their flowers does require some imagination. Of all the banksias in my garden, this one definitely has the most consistent flowering, in fact it appears to produce flowers all year. If you’re after a more rugged Australiana look in your garden you should consider planting a Swamp Banksia (Banksia robur). It’s not what I would call a beautiful plant but rather one with lots of character. Its branches are rarely straight, and its very large leaves are more rigid than you would expect. The flowers aren’t colourful but they are big and solid, and won’t move under the weight of even the most gorged honeyeater. Banksia dentata has the least imaginative name of all the Northern Banksias. It’s simply known as the Tropical Banksia. An appropriate name as this species even occurs in New Guinea, and that makes it the only Banksia to grow naturally outside Australia. There are two more species which are worth considering. The Coastal Banksia (Banksia integrifolia) from south of the tropics grows well in costal conditions. And Banksia aquilonia which grows more as a rainforest tree than the small shrubs we associate with banksias.

To be quite frank, if you live in the tropics I wouldn’t even bother with the remaining 72 banksia species unless you’re after a real challenge and don’t mind frequent failure. The six species I’ve written about have a good track record in local gardens, and furthermore they are varied in size, growth habit and flower colour, which means you’re not missing out on anything either. So, go on and do yourself and the local wildlife a favour by planting a local Banksia today.

Marcus Achatz
Yuruga Nursery

(Published in Cairns City Life magazine, May 2009)

For when you try to relate to a blind person it forces you to look at your surroundings in a completely different way. From this, I learnt to enjoy the forest by touching it instead of just looking at it. The variety of different textures amazed me. I knew they’d always been there, but until then I had ignored them and focused on what I could see. There were different textures of bark, from very smooth to very rough. On the bark there were soft wet mosses, rubbery lichens and odd feeling fungi. You could feel the grip twining vines had around their supports. Leaves ranged from young and supple, to old and hard. Some were covered in soft hairs, while others were smooth to touch and some were rough and scratchy. It’s a pity that as children we were always being told to look, but don’t touch. It has left us with an under utilised sense of touch and in effect has created a kind of invisible barrier between the natural world and us. I can’t resist running my hand through the leaf-blades of Grasstrees as I walk past them. They look spiky and sharp, but are actually quite flexible and smooth, and I love the way they spring back into position defying your attempt to rearrange them. Before they open fully, banksia flowers feel artificial, like they’re made up of thousands of tiny loops of thick nylon fishing line. And how can I forget about the sandpaper fig. It lives up to its name. The leaves are rough enough to sand timber or file fingernails. 

Of course there are many more, but why read about it when you could be experiencing it for yourself. Next time you’re shopping for plants, use your hands as well as your eyes, you might choose a plant just because you like the way it feels. 

Marcus Achatz
Yuruga Nursery

(Published in Cairns City Life magazine, March 2008)

When planted in a garden and given a tiny bit of care they can be grown as beautiful feature trees or shrubs. Remember that in a controlled garden environment, plants are less affected by the elements than in the wild. They are protected from fires so their bark is never scarred, dead or mis-formed limbs are removed, drought stress can be alleviated with regular watering and insect pests can be controlled. You can even prune and shape them as you wish. All these things combined will result in a good-looking plant that still retains its Australian heritage – in other words, they scrub up alright.

Take for example Banksia Spinulosa – in the wild it’s usually obscured by tall grass but in the garden its fine foliage and large golden to red coloured flower spikes are very eye catching. There is also the Polar Gum (Eucalyptus platyphylla), which has a spectacular white trunked gum and unusually wide light green leaves. This tree has been used as a feature tree in the center of Yuruga Nursery’s car park. It may be a little large for most suburban gardens, but if you are fortunate enough to have the space, it is definitely worth planting.

Another diamond in the rough is the Grevillea glauca. You would have driven past it on the road between Kuranda and Mareeba without giving it a second look. Yet once grown in nursery conditions their stunning silver foliage stand out. Even hakeas, paperbarks, ironbarks and sedges can become handsome feature plants. And remember, because they are native North Queensland plants they are going to be tough and require much less attention than plants from down south. So don’t be put off by the way they look in the wild, because out there they’ve got a much tougher life than they will have in the comfort of your garden.

Happy gardening.

Marcus Achatz
Yuruga Nursery

(Published in Cairns City Life magazine, January 2008)

There is however a third alternative. A low maintenance native garden, and by that I mean one comprised of plants that are local to the tropical north, naturally require virtually no care and will grow at a manageable rate. You see, one of the problems with garden plants in the tropics is during the wet season they grow at a stunning rate, so in one year you can go from having a manicured garden to “where has the house gone?” This isn’t only the case for exotic plants but also for some of our natives where growth rates of up to three metres per year are not unusual.

The solution is to be very selective about your plant choice and to make sure they are ones which by nature are tough and will prosper even if neglected. Ideally you should be looking for dwarfed natives such as Callistemon Little John, which will remain small and compact without any pruning. And there are other tough natives to consider such as Banksia spinulosa and Banksia robur, which are tolerant of our tropical conditions and have large flower spikes that provide lots of nectar for beautiful honeyeaters. In fact one bonus of these slower growing species is that they put much of their energy into flowering and hence add a nice bit of colour to the garden. There are also native sedges (Lomandras) and flax lilies (Dianellas), which will reach their mature size in a short time and then remain at that size for the rest of their lives. Grass trees and cycads are another good choice as their growth rate is super slow and tough and their symmetry will help to make the garden look neat.

The main thing is to get plants that won’t grow too large, and just as importantly won’t need regular pruning, watering or fertilising, and will not self-seed or invade other parts of the garden. In short, go native.

Marcus Achatz
Yuruga Nursery

(Published in Cairns City Life magazine, November 2007)

Here at Yuruga Nursery, we’ve been roaming Cape York Peninsula for over 25 years, collecting and recording the flora of this fantastic wilderness situated right on our doorstep.

Plants from the Cape make fantastic plants in gardens and landscapes, not only for their intrinsic beauty, but also because a large proportion of them are extremely tough and hardy in cultivation. This is no doubt due to the harsh climate to which they are adapted. Cape York Peninsula has a pronounced tropical monsoonal climate; in other words it is very hot and dry for about 9 months of the year, and then for 3 months it is very hot and wet. Plants have to be tough to survive (and thrive) in such extremes.

It’s common for people who have never travelled on the Cape to assume that the vegetation is dense tropical rainforest throughout, and to get a huge shock on their first visit when they find that they can drive virtually the whole way to Bamaga without seeing any rainforest at all! In fact, the main route up the centre of the Cape passes through open sclerophyll forest for pretty well the entire journey, with the only relief being the gallery rainforests along the creek and river crossings, and larger patches of scrub towards the Tip.

So, the traveller could easily form the view that the Cape is hot, dry and dusty, and that the flora is dull and boring. However, look more closely, take a few side tracks, and a whole world of amazing and phenomenal flora is revealed.

The Cape is actually home to a wide variety of plant habitats, from open sclerophyll forest to dense rainforest, from vast heathlands to fantastic wetlands, from windswept headlands to pristine wild rivers. The purpose of this article is to give you a glimpse into the huge diversity of flora on the Cape, and to give you an insight into where some of the plants that we sell in the nursery come from in the wild.

Eucalyptus phoenicea

Starting your journey through the Cape from the south, you haven’t got far to go before you pass through the territory of two of Queensland’s most fantastic eucalypts. The dry stony hills in the Palmer River area of the southern Peninsula are home to the Lemon Scented Ironbark (Eucalyptus staigeriana). Crush the leaves and experience the most amazing lemon scent – pure heaven! If you travel via Cooktown and the Battle Camp Road, you will pass through a lovely stand of the bright orange-flowered gum tree Scarlet Gum (Eucalyptus phoenicea). What a stunningly beautiful flower, and a great tree for tropical gardens.

The shady gallery rainforests along the creeks and rivers of the Cape are a welcome relief from the heat, and a great place to stop for a cuppa. Most Cape York watercourses are lined with beautiful paperbarks – usually Melaleuca leucadendra or the silver-leafed Melaleuca argentea. Chances are there’ll also be the Mango Pine (Barringtonia calyptrata) and its smaller cousin the Freshwater Mangrove (Barringtonia acutangula). A couple of Satinash species are very common along the watercourses of the Cape, particularly the Flaky Barked Satinash (Syzygium forte subsp potamophilum) and the River Cherry (Syzygium tierneyanum). You will also find the beautiful Weeping Tea Tree (Leptospermum madidum) with its lovely lime green foliage and smooth white sculptured trunk.

In bogs and soaks you will always find the Red Beech (Dillenia alata), the Native Lasiandra (Melastoma affine), the Swamp Satinash (Syzygium angophoroides), and various pandanus species (Screw Palms).

The open forests are dominated by various eucalypt species, one of the most prominent being Eucalyptus tetradonta. Here and there you will see the dark green Golden Bouquet Tree (Deplanchea tetraphylla) with its huge leaves and equally huge heads of bright yellow flowers. This spreading shady tree is known on the Cape as the ‘Wallaby Wireless Tree’ because wallabies are fond of the flowers and will often congregate under a flowering tree for a feed and the chance to catch up on the local wildlife gossip.

Banksia dentata

Dotted everywhere through the woodlands and heath country of the Cape are two signature plants: the Cape York Banksia (Banksia dentata), a small tree with twisted form and yellow banksia flowers, and Broad Leaved Paperbark (Melaleuca viridiflora), another small tree with papery bark and wonderful bottlebrush flowers which may be any shade from deep maroon, through delicate pastel pink, to salmon, cream, and even green. When you come across a patch of this beautiful melaleuca in flower, stop and go for a wander, and see how many different flower colours you can find.

The Golden Grevillea (Grevillea pteridifolia) is very common on the Cape, and a dominant plant in the heathlands is the Yellow Tea-Tree (Neofabricea myrtifolia), which makes a great shrub in your garden. You may find the Golden Penda (Xanthostemon chrysanthus) along some of the watercourses, but out on the windswept sand dunes of Temple Bay is the stunning (and very rare) Red Penda (Xanthostemon youngii) with its bright orange-red flowers.

Rainforests may be rare along the main road, but it’s worth the effort to take some roads less travelled. For instance, the road to Portland Roads passes through the rainforests of Iron Range, which is an absolute wonderland of lush tropical rainforest species. If you happen to be there at just the right time, the cascading new growth of the Cascading Bean (Maniltoa lenticellata) will literally take your breath away. Iron Range harbours a myriad of wonderful species including the Bamaga Satinash (Sygzium bamagense), the Fibrous Satinash (Syzygium fibrosum), the native Water Cherry (Syzygium aqueum), the delicate Syzygium puberulum, and just so much more. Two of these (Syzygium fibrosum and Syzygium aqueum) have delicious edible fruits which are making their mark in the emerging Bush Foods industry.

Gardenia scabrella

The flora of the Cape is so diverse and so fantastic that this article can only but scratch the surface. There’s just so many species that it’s impossible to do it justice, save to comment that many, many of the plants on our regular nursery stock list are from Cape York Peninsula since they make tough, hardy and very attractive plants in cultivation.

The final word, however, goes to two of our favourite Cape York plants, the Cape Plum (Flacourtia sp), and the Cape York gardenias. The Cape Plum is a simply gorgeous shrub, suitable for just about any situation. And the gardenias are just so beautiful! For instance, Gardenia scabrella is a neat, rounded shrub with beautiful large star-shaped white flowers, while its prostrate cousin Gardenia sp Glennie River is one of the very best groundcovers for tropical gardens. These hugely popular plants are just some of the hundreds of plant introductions made from Cape York Peninsula by Yuruga Nursery over the years.

The focus of this article is for gardeners in tropical Australia.
However, the basic principles apply for throughout Australia
with minor modifications for local conditions.

Banksias, named after Joseph Banks who collected the first specimens in 1770, are amongst the best known Australian wild-flowers.

With their absolutely magnificent flowers and characteristically Australian appearance, everyone wants to plant these wonderful plants in their gardens, and books and magazines are full of enticing photos of amazing banksias to grow.

But … there’s a trap of course! Most of the fantastic banksias featured in glossy books and magazines and on television programmes are from south west Western Australia and are quite unsuitable for planting in gardens in tropical north Queensland. This is because the climate of south west WA is almost the exact opposite of north Queensland. South west WA experiences cold wet winters and hot dry summers while here in the monsoon tropics of north Queensland we have warm dry winters and hot wet summers. Unfortunately, banksias from south west WA simply cannot handle a tropical wet season, and they quickly succumb and die.

So, the solution is quite obvious ….. simply plant Queensland banksias! And luckily, there’s several really nice ones to choose from, as you can see from those illustrated here. With the exception of the Hinchinbrook Banksia (Banksia plagiocarpa) which has quite specific cultivation requirements, all the banksias described here are remarkably easy to grow and are suitable for gardens right across tropical north Queensland.

Banksia flowers are renowned for their copious production of nectar, and so banksias are wonderful plants to attract honeyeaters to your gardens. Banksia flowers are stunning in a vase or in floral art, and the gnarled seed pods that form after the flowers have finished make terrific dried arrangements and ornaments.

There’s a few tricks you need to know in order to grow banksias successfully:

• Firstly, as a general rule they do not like wet feet and so they should be planted in friable, well drained soil. The exception to this rule is the Swamp Banksia (Banksia robur) which is more than happy in sodden ground – the more water the better as long as the soil does not turn sour.
• Secondly, to get lots of flowers they should be planted in an open position that gets full sun for most of the day.
• Thirdly (and very, very importantly!) be very careful what fertiliser you use. Banksias are extremely sensitive to phosphorous. It is very easy to poison them by inadvertently applying a fertiliser with too much phosphorous, and this is true of most general garden fertilisers. The golden rule is to make sure that the fertiliser you use has a phosphorous content of 3% or less. Look for a fertiliser that is specifically labelled as suitable for natives, and check the phosphorous level on the label before you use it! For more information, pick up the Yuruga Information Sheet “Fertilising Native Plants” next time you visit Yuruga Nursery.

Queensland banksias:

Banksia spinulosa

Hill Banksia (Banksia spinulosa)

Banksia spinulosa is one of the showiest of the banksias, bearing a multitude of large bright orange brushes for a long period each year. This plant is a dense hardy shrub growing to about two to three metres in height, and is a prolific flowerer. A plant in full flower makes a superb floral display, and attracts a host of honeyeaters.
Best planted in a full sun position, this shrub makes an excellent screen plant and retains its compact habit with minimal pruning.

Hinchinbrook Banksia (Banksia plagiocarpa)

Banksia plagiocarpa is a stunning and unusual banksia. Quite rare in the wild (it is found only on Hinchinbrook Island and the adjacent coastal mainland) it is a small tree growing to about 3- 4 metres high. This banksia has fantastic velvety bronze new growth, attractive toothed leaves, and the most fantastic flowers which start out as blue-grey buds, opening to yellow.

This banksia is much sought-after in the cut flower industry. However, it is the most difficult to grow of the Queensland banksias, preferring the cooler, moister conditions found in the Atherton and Malanda areas of the Tablelands.

Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia)
Banksia integrifolia is a small, gnarled tree with an interesting form. This species is quite tolerant of windy coastal conditions and salt spray, and it makes an excellent feature, especially in coastal gardens where it thrives on sandy soils.

It has grey-green leaves which are silvery-white beneath, and bears yellow banksia flowers for a long period during the year.

Banksia aquilonia

Mountain Banksia (Banksia aquilonia)
Banksia aquilonia is an attractive small tree in the garden, with lovely decorative foliage and yellow banksia brushes. This banksia occurs naturally in the rainforest margins on the mountains throughout north Queensland. Easy to grow, it is happy in dappled shade and also makes a very attractive pot specimen especially if it is kept heavily pruned to encourage the formation of dense foliage.

Giant Candles (Banksia ‘Giant Candles’)
Banksia Giant Candles is a hybrid between the Heath Banksia (Banksia ericifolia) and Banksia spinulosa, and it displays the best features of both its parents. A large shrub growing to 3 – 4 metres high, it has fine soft foliage and a dense compact form which lends it to use as an excellent screen plant.

The flowers are spectacular, giant, candle-like, bright orange brushes up to 30 cm long, and they are borne in profusion. Preferring a well-drained, sunny, open position, this superb banksia attracts myriads of nectar-feeding birds when in flower.

Banksia dentata

Cape York Banksia (Banksia dentata)
Banksia dentata is a handsome small tree from the open forests and heathlands of Cape York Peninsula. It has attractive, toothed leaves (hence the name ‘dentata’) which are green above and white beneath, and produces masses of yellow bottlebrush flowers each year, mostly during the dry season.

This banksia has an unusual corky trunk, and often grows into a twisted, gnarled shape which adds a distinctly Australian character to the garden.

Swamp Banksia (Banksia robur)
Banksia robur is a very handsome shrub with enormous, serrated, dark green leaves. It has most unusual flowers which start out as an olive-green colour as buds, open out to beautiful golden brushes, and mature to rich brown spikes before forming decorative pods.

Growing to only about 2 metres tall in most situations, this banksia prefers lots of water and will tolerate swampy conditions.