What's this on my banksia?

Ericifolia, Integrifolia, Marginata, Serrata, Spinulosa etc
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shibui
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What's this on my banksia?

Post by shibui »

Started repotting my natives last week. I picked up this Banksia serrata to see if it needed a repot
IMGP5266.JPG


and found this
IMGP5267.JPG
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Re: What's this on my banksia?

Post by Keels »

A fruiting cone? :lost: truthful no idea Ive only started in the ways of the banksia lol
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Re: What's this on my banksia?

Post by Rory »

Is this a test Neil?
Forget the flower...if that’s serrata, is that some kind of fungus?

Your trunk is dark as poo, and the branches are so dark??
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Re: What's this on my banksia?

Post by TimS »

Strictly speaking it would be called an inflorescence rather than a flower, but I think Neil is either having a laugh or might have over refreshed himself :lol:
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Re: What's this on my banksia?

Post by shibui »

Yes Rory. This is a test. If you can't get this one correct you'll be off the aussie bonsai team ;)

This is actually the first time any of my potted banksias have flowered so I was quite surprised when I picked this pot up and saw it for the first time. I actually had to have a couple of good looks before it finally clicked :idea:

Just for Rory's eagle eyes, there's several things going on with the trunk.
Most of the black is moss. I have a species here that loves to grow up trunks and even in branches. There's a live patch around that first branch.
IMGP5314.JPG
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Usually I spray with vinegar to kill it off before it gets too carried away. Vinegar kills the moss but it takes a long time for the remains to disappear. The base has been sprayed so there's dead moss still clinging to the bark down there.
IMGP5312.JPG
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Up higher, near the flower, (have I mentioned that I've managed to grow a flower on one of my banksias? :whistle: ) it is just normal serrata bark.
IMGP5316.JPG
and just in case you missed it that's a banksia flower on one of my prebonsai banksias. ;)
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Re: What's this on my banksia?

Post by GavinG »

There are three Banksias in the NBPCA, a serrata and two others. They all get pinched frequently, so no flowers - except the mad serrata, which sneaks out a flower or two every year, just to mess with our heads. And the cones last for ages, with seeds that won't open until the bushfires come through...

Worth a visit.

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Re: What's this on my banksia?

Post by MJL »

Quite funny. To date, I had only looked at this thread my phone. The inflorescence looked like a well placed triangular wood file. Oh, what a difference size makes. :shake: The size of one's screen! ;) These photo's are fantastic and more wonderful stock from Neil. Great stuff and very interesting to boot!
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Re: What's this on my banksia?

Post by Phil Rabl »

Must be a good year for B serrata. I have let this one grow unchecked this year with a view to a bit of a re-design. I feed it fairly regularly, mainly with one of the fruit and flower fertilisers (it had proteoid roots when I last re-potted it in February 2019, which I found interesting). I has 2 cones. First time it has done so in the 10 years I have had it.
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Re: What's this on my banksia?

Post by melbrackstone »

It could also be that this has been an horrendously dry year over the eastern states, and many trees are going into /doom mode and flowering madly in an attempt to continue the species...

Nice looking bloom Neil!
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Re: What's this on my banksia?

Post by shibui »

Well done Phil. At least your flower is out in the open where it can be seen.

Now I have to decide whether to remove the flower so the tree can concentrate on growing or leave it to open and develop. :lost:
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Re: What's this on my banksia?

Post by Rory »

shibui wrote: December 15th, 2019, 7:51 pm Now I have to decide whether to remove the flower so the tree can concentrate on growing or leave it to open and develop. :lost:
Sorry. In hindsight that was a little rude.
My first reaction should have been:
:worship: You got a Bonsai banksia to flower.

Not.... what’s going on with your trunk?

I’ve never had the fortune of seeing a Banksia flower on my Bonsai, only my planted Banksias.
Gosh I’d definitely leave it on there, mainly to enjoy the beautiful sight. I’m jealous.

I hate moss. I never encourage it.
It’s horrible for my deeply fissured casuarina too. I use a blow torch from afar and terminate it when it starts to develop.
It creates a nice bushfire survivor look afterwards if you get to close with the heat.
If I don’t deal with it, it eventually turns the bark into soft mush.
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How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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Re: What's this on my banksia?

Post by Pearcy001 »

Well done Neil and congratulations.
It's really great to see the more advanced growers still getting excited about reaching new ground.

Cheers,
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Re: What's this on my banksia?

Post by shibui »

Sorry. In hindsight that was a little rude.
No need for apologies Rory. The title was meant as a joke to get some interest. Of course it is hard for all of you to see me grinning at this end though :wave:

Besides, you'll need to be quite a lot more rude to offend me :whistle: :whistle:
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Re: What's this on my banksia?

Post by TimS »

Likewise here, having not really grown Banksia to any degree, I just assumed you were joking around rather than appreciating the that it is an uncommon sight.

A reward for the hard work perhaps?
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Re: What's this on my banksia?

Post by Boics »

I got two inflorescence on my B.Serrata this year for the first time as well.
I've left both mine. :cool:
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