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Banksia cuneata
Also called Quairading Banksia
Matchstick banksia is an endangered shrub or small tree from southwest Western Australia, growing up to 5 m with dome-shaped flower heads. It is grown mainly in full sun with well-drained sandy soil and some wind shelter.
Banksia cuneata, commonly known as matchstick banksia or Quairading banksia, is an endangered species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae. Endemic to southwest Western Australia, it belongs to Banksia subg. Isostylis, a sub-genus of three closely related Banksia species with inflorescences or flower clusters that are dome-shaped heads rather than characteristic Banksia flower spikes. A shrub or small tree up to 5 m (16 ft) high, it has prickly foliage and pink and cream flowers. The common name Matchstick Banksia arises from the blooms in late bud, the individual buds of which resemble matchsticks. The species is pollinated by honeyeaters (Meliphagidae).
Although B. cuneata was first collected before 1880, it was not until 1981 that Australian botanist Alex George formally described and named the species.
An endangered species, B. cuneata occurs only over a 90 km (56 mi) range around Pingelly and Quairading, in Western Australia. It favours deep yellow sand at elevations between 230 and 300 m (750 and 980 ft), in woodland habitat. It often grows in association with Banksia prionotes and Xylomelum angustifolium.
Propagation is by seed, although these are hard to obtain. Seeds do not require any treatment before sowing, and take around 23 days to germinate. Cuttings yield unpredictable results. The plant itself prefers a deep, sandy, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0–7.0. It requires full sun, but some protection from the wind is recommended, as this is a fast-growing plant with spindly branches that are easily damaged by wind. A more compact form can be obtained by pruning the top quarter each year. This species has little appeal to the cut flower industry because of its prickly foliage, and its tendency to drip nectar.
Banksia acanthopoda · Prickly Banksia · Banksia acuminata · Wallum Banksia · Banksia alliacea · Cactus Dryandra · Northern Banksia · Yilgarn Dryandra · Banksia archaeocarpa · Banksia arctotidis · Banksia armata var. armata · Banksia armata var. ignicida
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Banksia cuneata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
