Banksia integrifolia (coast banksia)

Japanese name: コースト・バンクシア
Scientific name: Banksia integrifolia

[Overview]
An evergreen tree distributed along the coast from Victoria to central Queensland in eastern Australia.
In its native range it is often seen as a tall tree reaching 25 m.
It grows over a wide range from coastal sand dunes to mountains and takes diverse forms.
The leaves are simple and borne in whorls of 3–5, narrowly obovate to elliptic, 4–20 cm long and 0.6–3.5 cm wide, dark green above and white beneath because of dense woolly hairs.
Young leaves have coarse wavy teeth, but mature leaves are entire.
Cylindrical inflorescences about 10 cm long and 5 cm across emerge at the branch tips; small flowers are paired and densely arranged in a spiral, opening in order from the bottom.
The flowers are pale yellow with 4-lobed perianth segments, and the long, straight styles protrude conspicuously, making the flower spike look like a brush.
The buds are sometimes tinged with green or pink.
The fruits are follicles gathered in a spike to form a cone-like cluster, at first with woolly hairs.
The follicles are bivalve-like and, when ripe, open to release winged seeds.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by cuttings.
When grown from seed, germination takes about 5–6 weeks, and flowering comes 4–6 years after germination.
In areas without frost, it prefers a sunny site with well-drained, well-aerated acidic soil, but it can also grow in alkaline soil.
Take care not to overwater; for potted plants, water thoroughly after the soil surface has dried, and for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
Fertilizer is not particularly necessary.
It tolerates quite severe pruning.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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