Banksia ashbyi - Dwarf Ashby's Banksia - 10 seeds

Banksia ashbyi is the northernmost of all Banksia in Western Australia and occurs in two forms.  In the northern part of its range down to Shark Bay, it is a lignotuberous shrub to 2m in height and grows on red sand dunes near the coast.  Further south, it is a non-lignotuberous shub or small tree to 8m tall.  These plants are fire sensitive and rely on seed for regeneration.  It is not known whether the changes between forms geographically are gradual or sudden.

Apart from its habit, both forms of Banksia ashbyi have similar features - the leaves are linear, about 200 to 300mm long by 30mm wide and have deeply serrated margins.  The cylindrical flower spikes are conspicuous as they occur at the end of the branches (terminal).  They are orange in colour about 150mm long by 80mm diameter and occur in late Winter to Spring. 
The seeds are enclosed in follicles attached to a woody cone and are generally retained within the cone until burnt.

Banksia ashbyi is an outstanding ornamental species and ideal for cut flower production due to its bright coloured, terminal flowers and like all Banksias, it is excellent for attracting honey eating birds.

In cultivation it requires a warm, open, well drained site, preferably with a sandy topsoil with a pH from slightly acid to slightly alkaline. 
It is drought tolerant and moderately frost hardy, however it is suited to cultivation in areas with a dry Summer climate and can be difficult to maintain in areas of high Summer humidity.

Seed should be sown into a standard seed raising mix and watered as required.  Plant out young seedlings as soon as practicable to avoid too much root disturbance, plant into well drained soil with an acidic pH of around 6.0 to 6.5.  Phosphorus fertilisers are toxic to the plant so be sure to use the appropriate fertiliser for Australian native species.

10 premium quality seeds of the Dwarf variety shipped on receipt of cleared funds.