Banksia menziesii was named after two botanists – Sir Joseph Banks and Archibald Menzies – both who had several botanical discoveries to their name.
This banksia is found in Western Australia only, from as north as the Murchison River to as south as Pinjarra. It is mainly found in coastal plains, however there are smaller populations to be found about 200km east of Perth.
The plant varies in size, with shrubs growing to around two metres and trees getting to as tall as seven metres in Banksia woodlands. The tree has green foliage and large flowers from February to October.
The flowers can grow to be as big as 8cm x 12cm and can bloom in a range of colours. The most common two-tone colour combination is deep red and pink, however it’s not rare for the flowers to be cream, gold, burgundy, bronze and chocolate tones.
The firewood banksia is easily propagated by seed, and will usually germinate four to six weeks after sowing. They prefer free-draining sandy soil in full sun and are sensitive to dieback (Phytophthora cinnamomi).
