Scientific Name: Banksia aemula

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  • Pronunciation:
    BANKS-ee-ah ay-MULE-ah
  • Common Name:
    Wallum Banksia
  • Type:
    Shrub or Small Tree
  • Family:
    PROTEACEAE
  • Status:
    Common
  • Flowers:
    Pale green broad cylindrical spike autumn-winter
  • Fruit:
    Persistent woody cones
  • Flowers Color:
    Green
  • Fruit Color:
    Brown
  • Vegetation Type:
    Coastal Heath. Sand dunes, sandy flats and wallum
  • Species List:
    FlexiSchoolSB, Plants for Coastal Gardens, W1, Hedges, Bush food, SBHS, NLTalks2010, Coolum High, NNP Parkedge/Alex, NNP service road, Kingfisher Bay Resort, NNP Viewland/Brunjes, Girraween, Emu Swamp, Marcus Dunes, BHNR, Arthur Harrold NR, NNS, Regional Ecosystem 12.2.9. Regional Ecosystem 12.3.14. Regional Ecosystem 12.5.10.
Cultural Notes

TAKE CARE! Some information about bush foods and medicines may be anecdotal. Correct identification and preparation is essential:

Bush food. Flowers dipped in water for sweet drinks, or rolled in hands to lick the nectar. Seed cones used as hair brushes.

Bush medicine: Coughs and colds - nectar syrup drunk | The sweet drink of the banksia flower is sometimes mixed with wattle gum. The Aborigines also made a weak form of alcohol, which is called \\\'bull\\\' or \\\'bool\\\' from the banksia, leaving the liquid to ferment.

Identification Notes

Red-brown warty bark, serrated leaves. Very similar in appearance to Banksia serrata. Flower style tips on B. aemula are conical in contrast to B. serrata which has cylindrical style tips

Associated Fauna

Bird attracting, butterfly attracting. Butterfly host plant: Fiery jewel. Bees, wasps and other insects like sucking the nectar from the banksia flowers.

Landscaping Notes

Noosa Council Preferred Species list. |Very ornamental feature tree or shrub| Requires sun and good drainage