Banksia borealis facts for kids

Banksia borealis is a special type of sprawling shrub. It grows only in Western Australia. This plant has leaves with pointy edges. Its flowers are gold and grow in a spike. It also produces egg-shaped fruit. There are two slightly different kinds of this plant, called subspecies. They grow in two separate areas.

What Does Banksia borealis Look Like?

This plant is a sprawling shrub. It usually grows up to 1 meter (about 3 feet) tall. Some types can grow taller, up to 2.5 meters (about 8 feet). The stems have soft hairs on them.

The leaves are long and narrow. They are about 4 to 9 centimeters (1.5 to 3.5 inches) long. They are also about 1.2 to 3 centimeters (0.5 to 1 inch) wide. Each leaf has 5 to 12 sharp, pointy parts on its sides.

Between 30 and 50 flowers grow together in a spike. These spikes are found at the end of short side branches. Each flower is golden and hairy. The flowers bloom from July to November. After flowering, the plant makes hairy, egg-shaped fruits. These fruits are called follicles. They are about 8 to 13 millimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches) long.

How Banksia borealis Got Its Name

This banksia was first officially described in 1996. A scientist named Alex George gave it the name Dryandra borealis. He found the first samples of the plant in 1966. This was near the road between Kalbarri and Ajana.

Later, in 2007, two other scientists, Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele, moved all the Dryandra plants into the Banksia group. So, this plant became Banksia borealis.

The second part of its name, borealis, is a Latin word. It means "northern." This name was chosen because this plant grows in the most northern part of where Dryandra plants are found.

There are two types of Banksia borealis:

• Banksia borealis subsp. borealis is a shrub that can regrow from a special underground stem called a lignotuber.
• Banksia borealis subsp. elatior is a shrub that does not have a lignotuber.

Where Does Banksia borealis Grow?

Banksia borealis grows in two separate areas of Western Australia.

The subspecies borealis is quite common. It grows in a type of shrubland called Kwongan. You can find it between Kalbarri, Northampton, and Yuna.

The subspecies elatior is much rarer. It is only found in a few small areas near Three Springs. It grows in tall scrub and low woodlands.

Is Banksia borealis Protected?

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife checks on plants.

• Subspecies borealis is listed as "not threatened." This means it is not currently in danger.
• Subspecies elatior is listed as "Priority Three." This means we don't know much about it. It is found in only a few places. However, it is not in immediate danger of disappearing.