Banksia ID please

[SueBee]

Hi folks, Can anyone help me id this Banksia?
It is a full grown tree of 7-8 metres in my garden.Here when purchased property.Most growth is very high in the canopy with other trees so no flowers ever seen.Lower branches recently shooting in pics but as yet no flowers on them.
Tree in situ

Branch shooting- can I airlayer this ?

[SueBee]

This is a closer view of leaf with hand for size comparison. Even mature leaves are less than 2 inches long (5-6cm) - immature about 1 inch (2-3cm).

[Grant Bowie]

Size and shape of leaf says B marginata but at 7 to 8 mtrs it is very big for the species. Member of B integrifolia related banksia for sure.

You live inland in dryer conditions, not coastal I presume?

Grant

[Grant Bowie]

Size and shape of leaf says B marginata but at 7 to 8 mtrs it is very big for the species. Member of B integrifolia related banksia for sure.

You live inland in dryer conditions, not coastal I presume?

Grant

[SueBee]

Thanks Grant, I live about 60klm from Otway Coast in Volcanic country so very rich soil with high (excellent clean )water table.My bore is only 22ft and they hit water at 12ft when sinking it- potable water.
There was second even larger tree in my front yard but had to have it removed as it was leaning out over road right at school bus stop out front. It was a good 10 metres and trunk of around a metre+ diameter.That was four years ago and come to think of it there were yellow smallish (3 inches?)flowers on it. The pic is of the Banksia tree just after I brought the place. On the left of Banksia (tallest) is a huge multitrunk Hawthorn that is now also gone.

Glen at sale.JPG

[shibui]

B. marginata and B. integrifolia are similar in many ways. both have smaller yellowish flowers, similar bark. Leaves are variable in both because they have a wide range. Costermans says marginata is distinguished by truncated (square ends) leaves but I have seen that in trees I'm pretty sure were integrifolia.
Costermans also has integ flowers feb-July and marginata flowers oct- mar. In our garden integrifolias tend to flower right through winter and well into spring.

Our local inland marginatas grow as straggly shrubs on the dry hillsides but in better conditions in gullies and closer to water I've seen them 7-8m tall.

both species drop seeds as soon as they are ripe so you need to pick unopened cones around Dec or Jan before the follicles open.

[SueBee]

Thanks for that Shibui- I take it that it is either Marginata or Integrifolia. My online research shows much bigger leaves on both but I am open to the idea of conditions changing the size.
As to my second question - Can they be airlayered? The newer branches down low have some nice movement and I would like to try if it is not a waste of time.

[Gerard]

Airlayering this time of year should be very easy

[SueBee]

Thanks Gerard,I am not familiar with airlayering natives so needed to ask.

[Grant Bowie]

Thanks for that Shibui- I take it that it is either Marginata or Integrifolia. My online research shows much bigger leaves on both but I am open to the idea of conditions changing the size.
As to my second question - Can they be airlayered? The newer branches down low have some nice movement and I would like to try if it is not a waste of time.

After seeing the photo of the full, leaning tree it is definitely B marginata.

I grew a lot of B integrifolia compar from cutting so worth a try to grow by air layer.

Grant

[shibui]

Both marginata and integrifolia are quite widespread species and grow in a number of different habitats. As is often the case with such species there is quite a lot of variability in size, shape, leaf, flower, etc between plants from different areas and it is not unusual to find trees that are a bit different to the typical description. I have noticed that Tasmanian marginata has much smaller leaves than we see in Victorian populations. Leaf size can also change in different conditions.

I have not had much success with either of these species as cuttings but there is an increasing number of selected varieties which are all grown as cuttings so it can be done.
Reason for mentioning cuttings is that plants that can be grown as cuttings tend to be easy to layer. Even some that are more difficult as cuttings can be layered.
Therefore, as Gerard has said, layering should probably be OK to propagate this tree.

[SueBee]

Thank you Shibui. I will give it a try on one of those lower branches- time will tell. Just need some more sphagnum first. Might take a 50k trip to the Big Green Shed later today.