Coast Banksia

About

One of the four original Banksia species collected by Sir Joseph Banks in 1770, and the dominant flowering tree along much of the Victorian coast. Flowers year-round with a peak in autumn, making it a reliable food source for honeyeaters and other nectar-feeders.

How to spot it

A gnarled, often wind-sculpted tree to 25m with rough grey bark and dark green leaves that flash silvery-white on their undersides in the wind. Pale yellow cylindrical flower spikes 10-12cm tall stand upright at branch tips. Common on the dunes and headlands of Wilsons Promontory, Cape Conran, Croajingolong, Discovery Bay and the Mornington Peninsula.

Documented on these trails

Found in

• Wilsons Promontory National Park — Melbourne, the Dandenongs & Central Victoria hikes
• Cape Conran Coastal Park
• Croajingolong National Park
• Discovery Bay Coastal Park
• Mornington Peninsula National Park / Arthurs Seat State Park