Banksia is a
genus of around 80
species in the
plant family Proteaceae. Iconic
Australian wildflower and popular
garden plants, they are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and can vary from prostrate woody
shrubs to trees up to 30 metres tall. They are generally found in a wide variety of landscapes;
sclerophyll forest, (occasionally) rainforest, shrubland, and some more arid landscapes, though not in Australia's deserts.
Heavy producers of
nectar, banksias form a vital part of the food chain in the Australian bush. They are an important food source for all sorts of nectariferous animals, including birds, bats, rats, possums and a host of invertebrates. Furthermore, they are of economic importance to Australia's
nursery and
cut flower industries. However these plants are threatened by a number of processes including land clearing, frequent burning and disease, and a number of species are
rare and
endangered.
