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Banksia plagiocarpa
Dallachy's Banksia is a large shrub to small tree from a tiny range on Hinchinbrook Island and the adjacent Queensland coast, and it is endangered in the wild. It grows well in cultivation with good drainage and a sunny position, and it is valued for its grey-blue buds and red new growth.
Banksia plagiocarpa, commonly known as Dallachy's blue banksia, blue banksia or Hichinbrook banksia, is a species of large shrub to small tree in the plant genus Banksia. It is an endangered species found only on Hinchinbrook Island in Queensland and the immediately adjacent mainland. First collected in 1867, it was not described until 1981, when Alex George named it in his monograph of the genus Banksia. Genetic studies show it to be related to Banksia aquilonia, Banksia oblongifolia and Banksia robur.
Banksia plagiocarpa adapts readily to cultivation, and grows well with good drainage and a sunny aspect. It has been grown successfully in cooler climates, such as the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne. It flowers in four to five years from seed. Its horticultural features are its gunmetal grey-blue buds and red new growth. It has also been grown for the cut flower industry.
The range of Banksia plagiocarpa is limited to Hinchinbrook Island, where it is found on the top and slopes of Mount Bowen and Nina Peak, and the adjacent mainland on the Queensland north coast, where it is found on the summit and slopes of Bishops Peak. The annual rainfall is 2,400 mm (94 in). The habitat is either open woodland or grassland, and it can be the dominant shrub. The altitude it grows at on Hinchinbrook is between 200 and 720 m (660 and 2,360 ft), on gravelly, rocky or clay soils, and in association with such plants as tantoon (Leptospermum polygalifolium) and she-oaks (Casuarina), as well as Banksia aquilonia at lower altitudes below 400 m (1,300 ft). On the mainland, it is found in a more sandy soil, often near water.
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 plagiocarpa 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.
