Common name:
Heath Banksia

Family name:
Proteaceae

Botanical name:
Banksia ericifolia

Flowering/fruiting season:
Early winter (Flood, 1980:94)

Location:
Tableland - montane; locally common in dry sclerophyll in spring-summer (Flood, 1980:94)

Use:

• Food
• ' "... break the cobs off, swirl them in water to make a real sweet honey drink ..." Barry Moore'; or the sweet nectar could be sucked from the flowers (Wreck Bay Community & Renwick, 2000:53)
• Flowers were sucked for nectar Banksia spp. (Flood, 1980:94)

Notes:
'Cob trees' (Wreck Bay Community & Renwick, 2000:53)

Language names:
pirruka : 'Banksia' Monaro (Flood, 1980:359)

Horticulture :
Spikes to 30cm long and 6cm diameter in autumn and winter. Propagate from seed or cuttings. Very hardy plant. Use as screen or hedge. Best of the eastern banksia (Wrigley & Fagg, 1998:257-58)

Similar species:
Hairpin Banksia   B. spinulosa
B. marginata (ACT) smaller flower spikes.

Use code:
NEC