Who We Are

..... a scattering of people keen on growing, cultivating and finding banksias across Australia (though with greatest concentration in NSW and Victoria currently. A prerequisite for joining is membership of our parent body, ASGAP.

Membership of the Banksia Study Group is $10 annually ($20 for overseas subscribers), which goes towards the cost of producing 2 or 3 newsletters each financial year (ie. July to June) with some colour photos not yet published anywhere else.

To join, send a cheque payable to:
Banksia Study Group
PO Box 83
St Pauls' NSW 2031

Background

Banksia is a genus of about 75 species in the Protea family (Proteaceae). All species occur in Australia with one (B.dentata) extending to islands to Australia's north. Banksias can be found in most environments; the tropics, sub-alpine areas, the coast and desert areas. The most diversity in the genus occurs in the south of Western Australia where over 80% of the species occur.

Banksias are very popular plants in cultivation because of their colourful flowers, dramatic foliage and their role in attracting birds to the garden. They are successfully grown in every state and territory of Australia - provided species are selected that are suited to the environment where they are cultivated. One of the problems faced by growers is the difficulty in successfully growing Western Australian species in areas of the east coast where there are wet, humid summers.

The Banksia Study Group was set up to address this and other issues. Much progress has been made, particularly in the role of grafting in extending the range where species can be successfully grown.

The Study Group has been in existence since 1971. Trevor Blake (leader from 1973-2000), wrote a succinct history which was published in the first of two newsletters put out in 2000 by the next leader Bruce Gill. Sadly, Bruce passed away in early 2002 and Cas Liber took over the group after a period of inactivity in 2001.

Newsletters

Newsletters are published several times per year to record activities and experiences of Group members in cultivating banksias and in keeping up to date on scientific knowledge of the genus. The following newsletters published in 2003-2004 are available for download.

Reports

Ten reports, detailing the work and research of the Study Group, have been published. Reports 7 and 8 are still available. Some of the contents of these reports are:

Report 7 (28 articles)....AUS$5.00 + postage

• Grafted banksias
• Fertilization in the genus Banksia
• Banksia pollinators
• The effects of fire on 4 species of banksias
• Banksia growing in Britain
• Banksia germination times

Report 8 (41 articles)....AUS$6.00 + postage

• Grafting banksias by irrigated approach grafting
• Banksias at the Royal Botanic Gardens Annexe at Cranbourne, Victoria
• Banksia growing in northern California
• Commercial growing of Banksia in South Africa
• Botrytis on Banksia seedlings

These reports are available by contacting Cas Liber at the above address.

Photo Gallery

Photographs and brief notes on distribution, cultivation and propagation of almost half of the 75 species of Banksia have been incorporated into the ASGAP website. That information can be found here.