Browse plants / Proteaceae
Old man banksia Banksia serrata
Also called Saw banksia
When it flowers
- January, flowering
- February, flowering
- March, flowering
- April, not flowering
- May, not flowering
- June, not flowering
- July, not flowering
- August, not flowering
- September, not flowering
- October, not flowering
- November, not flowering
- December, flowering
Gnarled small tree with knobbly bark, saw-toothed leaves and silvery flower spikes in summer.
The hairy old cones inspired the 'big bad banksia men' of May Gibbs' stories. A slow, characterful tree for sandy gardens, with thick wrinkled bark and large flower spikes that open silvery-cream and feed honeyeaters.
In the garden
- Attracts
- Birds and pollinating insects
- Flowers
- Silvery grey-green to cream spikes 8 to 15 cm long.
- Leaves
- Long, stiff leaves with saw-toothed edges; new growth soft and velvety.
Growing conditions
- Climate
- Subtropical and temperate
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Sandy and loam
- Drainage
- Needs good drainage
- Frost
- Light frost
- Water
- Very drought tolerant
- Coast
- Sheltered coastal gardens
Planting and care
- Grown from
- Seed
Planting
Full sun or light shade in sandy, free-draining soil. Plant on a mound in heavier soil.
Pruning
Tip prune young plants to encourage branching. Cut spent cones or picked flowers just behind the spike, leaving leaves on the stem; it doesn't regrow well from bare wood.
Care
Use a low-phosphorus native fertiliser, if any. Water through dry spells for the first year; it rarely needs it after that.
Where it comes from
- Family
- Proteaceae
- Order
- Proteales
- Native to
- New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria
- Natural range
- Coastal heath and woodland on sandy soils from south-east Queensland to eastern Victoria and north-east Tasmania.
Where to buy
Widely available.
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 serrata on the Atlas of Living Australia (Atlas of Living Australia)
Native nurseries near you
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