Banksia Giant Candles

Banksia 'Giant Candles' is remarkable due to the size of its inflorescences, which can reach 40 cm in length. It is a bushy shrub with the appearance of a small pine tree, with evergreen foliage composed of long thread-like leaves. Its flowering, resembling large orange candles, usually occurs in autumn to winter. It can occur more or less throughout the year in a very mild climate. In coastal areas, in sandy soils, dry in summer, it can be a magnificent specimen, with a highly exotic appearance. Continental gardeners can cultivate it in a container on the terrace, to be stored during winter.

Banksia 'Giant Candles' is an Australian horticultural creation by Russell Costin from Limpinwood Nursery dating back to the 1970s. This variety is the result of cross-breeding between Banksia ericifolia (a form found in the city of Gosford) and Banksia spinulosa var. cunninghamii. All these plants belong to the protea family, just like Grevillea and Protea.

Banksia 'Giant Candles' forms a large shrub in a few years, with a bushy and branching habit, composed of a rounded and spreading crown, supported by one or more very short trunks. It can reach between 2 and 4 m high and 2 to 3 m wide, depending on the growing conditions. In Australia, this variety can reach about 5 metres if not pruned. Its branches bear leaves that resemble pine needles. They are tough, fairly dark green on the upper side and lighter on the underside. They measure 10 to 20 cm in length and 2-3 mm in width. Flowering can occur from August to February, depending on the climate. It is not uncommon for the shrub to sporadically flower outside of these periods, depending on the region. The inflorescences emerge from nodes that are two to three years old and stand out clearly from the foliage. They are cylindrical and erect, 30 to 40 cm tall and 7-10 cm wide terminal spikes, composed of several hundred tubular orange flowers spirally arranged around the central axis of the spike. The flowers, pollinated by insects (or birds in Australia), give rise to hard fruits in the shape of beaks. Most Banksia species need the heat of fire to burst their fruits and release the seeds.

Banksia 'Giant Candles' is a sensational, unusual plant. Apart from its lack of hardiness, this shrub is quite easy to grow in coastal gardens, in sandy and poor, non-chalky soils that are regularly dried out. It will look good as a specimen plant, always in an open position to allow it to develop freely. In an exotic garden, it can be associated with Madagascar viper's-bugloss and fascinating Puyas. It adapts well to container cultivation, allowing it to be stored during winter in regions with a very mild climate.

An original root system adapted to poor and dry soils:

Plants that grow in nutrient-poor soils often form a symbiosis with soil fungi that promote water and nutrient absorption. However, the Proteaceae family has chosen a different strategy: they develop a large number of unique lateral roots along their main roots. These roots are called proteoid roots and are induced by rain, developing under the layer of dead leaves that cover the base of the plant. Rain facilitates the decomposition of leaves, resulting in the release of nutrients. These ephemeral roots usually dry up at the end of the growth period. They have twice the water and nutrient absorption activity of "normal" roots.