Banksia tenuis syn Dryandra tenuifolia - King Banksia - 5 seeds

Banksia tenuis syn Dryandra tenuifolia is commonly known as the King Dryandra is a shrub to around 1m in height with the leaves having lobes along most of their length.  The leaves are long and narrow, being up to 20cm long, forming a tangled looking mass. 
 
Flowers occur on the older wood on short stems mainly in Winter and Spring in clusters are about 50mm in diameter and brownish-yellow in colour.

Banksia tenuis has proven itself to be reliable in inland areas in well drained, sandy soils, has flowered successfully in Sydney and has been cultivated by enthusiasts for many years and has proven itself to be one of the hardier species in the genus.  Propagation from seed is relatively easy and cuttings are also successful.

Pre-germination of seed by sowing into a closed container containing moist vermiculite or a similar material is also a useful method of germinating seeds, particularly for Winter sowing when outdoor temperatures may be unsuitable.  Germination usually occurs in 2 - 3 weeks using this method and when the root has reached about 1cm or so in length, the seedling can be placed into a small pot of seed raising mix

In cultivation all Banksia and Dryandra perform best in well-drained soils and generally resent continually wet soils.  They are suitable for shallow soils over a hard claypan, shallow clay soils can present problems but if garden beds are built up to 300-600mm, greater success is experienced.  Banksia/Dryandras are generally at their best in open, sunny positions although the plants will tolerate some shade but probably with reduced flowering.

With many different forms, growth habits and flower colours and can be used for many different purposes in the garden.  In addition, the flowers produce nectar and are excellent for attracting birds.

Like most members of the Proteaceae family,they have a distinctive root system (proteoid roots) consisting of tight groupings of many small "rootlets".  These are believed to enable the plants to more efficiently take up nutrients from the nutrient-deficient soils where many of the species occur naturally. In cultivation this means that the plants can be adversely affected by fertilizers, particularly phosphorus.  It is generally recommended that Dryandras and other Proteaceae be fertilised only with low-phosphorus, slow-release fertilisers or not be fertilised at all.

5 premium quality seeds shipped on receipt of cleared funds.