Profile of a Banksia Serrata

[Dave54]

Hi everyone,
I posted this item under a different section(progression Photos), but when I found this section, thought that maybe I should repost it here as a reference.
cheers
Dave
PROFILE OF A BANKSIA (from my book "Bonsai Ramblings"
Aptly named “Big Boy” by its original owner, this ‘Banksia
Serrata’ is commonly known as ‘The Old Man Banksia’ or ‘The Saw Tooth Banksia’.
Named after Sir Joseph Banks and first discovered on the shores of Botany Bay, the Serrata is native to the eastern seaboard of Australia from Queensland to Tasmania.
The Banksia prefers a full sun position and is moderately tolerant to salt and wind conditions. In its natural environment this tree will grow to between 6 & 10 metres and has an incredibly knarled, greyish bark which lends itself beautifully to Bonsai culture.
As the name suggests, the leaves have a serrated edge and in time do reduce in size, however, like other fruiting or flowering trees, the size of the flower remains the same. Trees usually flower after about three years and are borne from late Autumn to spring, followed by the rather hard seed cones which are usually referred to as ‘The Big Bad Banksia Man’.
Like all Bonsai, a well drained potting mix is preferred, however, they love heaps of water during the warmer seasons with some enthusiasts standing the pot in a tray of water over summer. Your potting mix should be more toward the acid type.
Some say that Banksia should not be fertilized at all, however, this tree receives ‘Osmocote’ slow release Native Formula. One ‘expert’ told me that the tree looked too green and healthy for a native, which I found rather absurd. A warning about using ‘SEASOL’ on Banskia. DON’T !! As some enthusiasts have suffered losses and I have recently been told that ‘Seasol’ is made up 100% chemicals with no seaweed. ( works great on other trees though )
This tree was first styled in 1983 from a seedling and was grown by the ‘Clip and Grow’ method until 1998 when I purchased it and wired down the branches.
The leaves tend to grow in ‘Whorls’ or ‘Tufts’ at the end of branches but by continually pinching out the new end growth, leaves tend to shoot back along the branches and leaf size definitely reduces.
The leaves on this tree were about 120-150 mm (5-6 “) when first purchased and are now less than half that.
Don’t remove Banksia from the bush as they are protected and the success rate is minimal anyway. Buy some nursery grown specimens so that the transplanting and root pruning process won’t be so intrusive to the tree. Grow them on in a large container and you will be surprised at how fast the trunk thickens up.
A healthy Banksia can be cut back to a bare trunk and it will shoot everywhere, giving you an abundance of choice for branch structure.
Big Boy’ measures 250 mm across the base and stands 500 mm high. It is planted in an unglazed Chinese pot. I am not a huge fan of Aussie natives as Bonsai, but I must say this is one of my very favourite trees.

[Glenda]

Dave, I love this tree. I have a banksia in a pot that is about 30 cm high and was wondering what I could do with it. Now I have some inspiration. Thanks. But I also need some advice. Do I just let it grow for now? I will try to get a photo.

Glenda

[kcpoole]

very Nice Tree Dave
And good info too

This tree reminds me of "Jabba The Hutt" from Star wars. With all the Bark Rolls and waving Branches

Ken