PlantSale Plant care guide

Old Man Banksia

Banksia serrata · Proteaceae

A gnarled, characterful small tree with serrated leathery leaves, thick warty bark and large grey-green flower spikes that age to the woody 'big bad banksia men' cones. Tough and long-lived.

At a glance

Habit: Tree
Light: Full Sun
Water: Low Water
Soil: Sandy Soil, Well-Drained, Poor / Infertile Soil
Climate: Warm Temperate, Cool Temperate, Subtropical
Frost: Frost-Hardy
Mature size: 10 m H × 6 m W
Foliage: Evergreen
Flowering: Summer Flowering, Autumn Flowering
Growth rate: Slow-Growing
Maintenance: Low Maintenance

Good for

Feature / Specimen
Bird-Attracting
Shade Tree
Bonsai
Coastal / Salt-Tolerant
Water-Wise

Sowing from seed

Difficulty: intermediate
Sowing depth: 6 mm
Method: Raise in trays and transplant
Germination: 21-49 days
Best sown in: spring, autumn
Seed storage life: 3 years