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| Category: Shrub |
| Family: Proteaceae (Proteas) |
| Origin: Australia (Australasia) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Orange Red |
| Bloomtime: Winter/Summer |
| Height: 6-8 feet |
| Width: 4-6 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Seaside: Yes |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 15-20° F |
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Banksia ericifolia 'Fireworks' (Fireworks Heath Banksia) - A large upright shrub to 8 feet tall by 6 feet wide with narrow 1/2 long leaves that are dark green on the upper surface and silvery below. In winter through spring into summer it has a magnificiant display of tall candle-like golden cones with red styles. Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and irrigate only occasionally to very little - a drought tolerant plant. This plant is frost tolerant and has proven hardy to just below 20 °F at the Australian National Botanic Garden at Canberra and it may prove even hardier. It should also prove quite tolerant to windy exposed seaside gardens as it is a selection of a species that is native to sandstone and coastal areas along the coast of Queensland and New South Wales. Plant as a bold specimen plant or group as a screen. This plant is quite tough and noted as tolerant of a wide range of soil condition but where too alkaline, watch for iron deficiencies. The name for the genus is one given by Carolus Linnaeus to honor the English botanist Sir Joseph Banks, who was on Captain James Cook's first expedition to Australia and collected the first Banksia specimens in 1770. The specific epithet refers to the leaves being like plant in the in the genus Erica (Heather). We originally received this plant from the University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum as Banksia ericifolia 79.125 (gold & red styles), which indicates that it first came to the arboretum in 1979. It was later named 'Fireworks' and released by the Arboretum's Koala Blooms Australian Plant Introduction Program in 2012.
The information about Banksia ericifolia displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |
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