Menu list goes here

Herbal Database Search Results

Back to: Pathways Main Search Page For Metaphysical uses visit The Witchs Haven

Banksia integrifolia

Common name:	Coast Banksia	Family:	Proteaceae
Author:	L.f.	Botanical references:	154, 200
Synonyms:	Banksia spicata
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Australia - New South Wales, S. Queensland, Victoria.
Habitat:	Basalt and red sand areas[154], usually by the coast but also found at higher elevations where it can be very gnarled and stunted[167].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Coast Banksia [H],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	integrifolia = leaves entire
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Proteales. Protea family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 9m. It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from August to December. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). It is noted for attracting wildlife. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soil. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, By Walls, By South Wall, By West Wall.

Edible Uses

Nectar.

The flowers are rich in nectar and this is sometimes harvested as a food. It is best harvested in the morning before birds and evaporation deplete the yields[193]. The flowers can be sucked or soaked in water in order to obtain the nectar[193].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Rootstock Tannin Wood.

The bark contains about 10% tannin[46, 154].
Used as a rootstock for other members of this genus[200].
Wood - soft, easily worked, pinkish with a prominent grain. It is highly decorative but the plants tend to be gnarled and irregular thus limiting its use. Used for veneers, furniture etc[154, 167].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in most soils[157]. Requires a lime-free soil[1]. Thrives in acid sandy loams[167]. Prefers a pH between 6.3 and 6.5[200]. If this species is to be successfully cultivated, the soil should be low in nutrients, especially in nitrates and phosphates[200]. Quite resistant to wind and salt spray, it grows well by the coast[166, 200]. Plants growing in exposed positions have entire leaves whilst those in sheltered positions have serrated leaves[154].
Plants require greenhouse protection in most parts of Britain[1] but they succeed outdoors on a sheltered wall in the mildest areas of the country[166]. Plants in Australian gardens tolerate temperatures down to at least -7° c[157], but this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer colder and wetter winters.
A polymorphic species, there are many named varieties selected for their ornamental value[200].
A good bee plant[154, 167].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in an ericaceous compost as soon as the seed is ripe or as soon as it is obtained and do not exclude light. Seal the pot in a plastic bag until germination takes place, which can take 1 - 3 months or more at 20° c[134]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in sand in a frame[200].

Cultivars

'': No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Proteaceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[134] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.

[154] Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria.
A flora of eastern Australia, it is rather short on information that is useful to the plant project.

[157] Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0
A lovely book, written in order to encourage Australian gardeners to grow their native plants. A little bit of information for the plant project.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[167] Holliday. I. and Hill. R. A Field Guide to Australian Trees. Frederick Muller Ltd. 1974 ISBN 0-85179-627-3
A well illustrated and very readable book, but it does not contain much information for the plant project.

[193] Low. T. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson. 1989 ISBN 0-207-14383-8
Well presented, clear information and good photographs. An interesting read for the casual reader as well as the enthusiast

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

Back to: Pathways Home page, Main Search Page Help Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Banksia+integrifolia
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Banksia+integrifolia

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
(You can copy, distribute, display this works but: Attribution is required, its for Non-Commercial purposes, and it's Share Alike (GNUish/copyleft) i.e. has an identical license.)
We also ask that you let us know (michael@thewitchshaven.com) if you link to, redistribute, make a derived work or do anything groovy with this information.

Pathways Home :: View Cart :: Shipping & Returns :: Contact Us :: Privacy Policy :: Philosophy :: The Witchs Haven

We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.