Another Banksia for you, noticed because it has sprung into flower recently and looks great-this genus has become one of my favourites since moving to Australia. Banksia ericifolia is a shrub that can reach 2.5 metres in height, being common in heath and woodland. As mentioned previously, all Banksia species (named after Joseph Banks) are in the Proteaceae family. The species name ericifolia, meaning Erica-leaved, with Erica being European heather.

• Leaves-small and crowded, linear in shape
• Flowers-spikes, orange, to 20cm tall, have hooked red to black styles, appear from April-August which is autumn and winter here in Australia
• Range-from the Blue Mountains and southern tablelands to NSW coastal areas
• Uses-a hugely important species for birds like honeyeaters that are nectar-feeders-this is down to the fact that this species produces lots of flowers in the winter when other food is scarce
• Care-an easy plant to care for, provided it has full to partial sun, prune to shape in early spring or summer and repot in spring or autumn
• Propagation-soft-wood cuttings

I have a thing for Australian native species, mainly because they are all so different from the plants I grew up with. There should always be space in any Australian garden for natives and I would love to have one of these in mine.

• All photos are my own
• Native Plants of the Sydney Region, 2010, 3rd edition, Fairley, A., Moore, P., Allan & Unwin, Crows Nest, Australia
• Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney, 2003, 3rd edition, Les Robinson, Simon & Schuster, Cammeray, Australia