Royal Botanic Garden Sydney Plants

A hardy coastal shrub or small tree native to NSW with distinctive serrated-toothed leaves and cylindrical flower spikes. In the Garden it thrives near the harbour edge and is an important nectar source for native birds and mammals.

Look for stiff, glossy leaves with small teeth near the margins (often pale underside) and cylindrical cream to yellow flower spikes; older cones persist on branches as woody seed-holding structures.

Common Confusions

• Banksia Marginata Banksia marginata B. marginata has narrower, more varied leaves and different cone shape; B. integrifolia typically has oblong leaves with toothed margins.
• Grevillea Grevillea spp. Grevilleas have spider-like flowers and often finely divided leaves; Banksia has thick serrated leaves and dense flower spikes.
• Hakea Hakea spp. Hakea fruits are woody and often beaked; Banksia has characteristic seed cones and cylindrical inflorescences.
• Waratah Telopea speciosissima Waratah has large single showy flowerheads and different foliage; Banksia's flower spikes are cylindrical and composed of many small flowers.
• Coastal Tea Tree Leptospermum laevigatum Tea tree is a smaller shrub with small white flowers; Banksia has large, nectar-rich bottlebrush spikes.