PlantFiles: Saw Banksia, Old Man Banksia
Banksia serrata

Saw Banksia is a beautiful tree with a gnarled nobbly trunk. It grows in the eastern states of Australia, usually near the coast. It can grow as the dominant tree in areas of sandy soil such as Holey Plains State Park, near here. It is extremely rich in nectar. So much so that if you dip your hand into a fully open flower head, it comes out dripping in nectar, which you can lick off your fingers. It is extremely attractive to nectar feeding birds.
Seed is hard to extract from the enormous cones and they usually need half an hour in a fairly hot oven to encourage them to open. Once seed is obtained they are easy to grow, and we have established plants in our local park, although I have not yet planted one in my garden.
The timber of this tree has a beautiful ornamental grain, a feature it shares with other Banksias and other trees in this family. The grain gives the timber an oak-like appearance and one of its cousins, Grevillea robusta is named Silky Oak because of its beautiful decorative wood.