Browse plants / Proteaceae
Fern-leaf banksia Banksia blechnifolia
When it flowers
- January, not flowering
- February, not flowering
- March, not flowering
- April, not flowering
- May, not flowering
- June, not flowering
- July, not flowering
- August, not flowering
- September, flowering
- October, flowering
- November, flowering
- December, not flowering
Prostrate banksia with fern-like leaves, rusty new growth and pink-red spikes at ground level.
Named for its leaves, which look like the fronds of a Blechnum fern. The creeping stems hug the ground, new leaves emerge covered in rusty-pink hairs, and squat pink-red flower spikes appear in spring. Best in dry-summer gardens with very good drainage.
In the garden
- Attracts
- Birds
- Flowers
- Squat spikes up to 15 cm tall at ground level, pink-red to brownish.
- Leaves
- Stiff, deeply lobed, fern-like leaves held upright; new growth furry and rusty pink.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Sandy
- Drainage
- Needs good drainage
- Frost
- Light frost
- Water
- Very drought tolerant
- Climate
- Dry summers (Mediterranean) and temperate
Planting and care
- Grown from
- Seed
Planting
Full sun in deep, sandy, free-draining soil. In humid or heavy-soil gardens choose a grafted plant, or grow it in a raised bed of sandy soil with good air movement.
Pruning
Little pruning needed. Remove dead leaves and old cones to tidy.
Care
Use a low-phosphorus native fertiliser, if any. Avoid summer watering once established; prone to root rot in wet soil.
Where it comes from
- Family
- Proteaceae
- Order
- Proteales
- Native to
- Western Australia
- Natural range
- Sandy heath in southern Western Australia.
Where to buy
Specialist native nurseries.
We don't have stockists listed for this plant yet. Local native nurseries are often the best place to ask.
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Further reading
- Banksia blechnifolia on the Atlas of Living Australia (Atlas of Living Australia)
Native nurseries near you
An independent list of nurseries that specialise in Australian native plants. Nobody pays to be on it. Distances are approximate and in a straight line. Opening hours and stock vary, so check before you go.