Banksias are iconic Australian plants – the fact that they also adapt well to bonsai is a bonus. I have seen some really great banksia bonsai on display at shows in Melbourne and Canberra and cannot understand why we have not been growing more of these. I have been experimenting with a number of banksias over the past 10 years or so and have found them excellent as bonsai. I potted up this little B. integrifolia earlier this summer and it appears to appreciate its new home. This afternoon it was time for a trim.

before trimming

after trimming

The leaf size on this one is quite small without really trying though some integrifolias have quite large leaves. I’m hoping to keep this one as a small sized bonsai but I understand that banksias continue to thicken quite quickly in pots so it may be necessary to allow it to grow at some stage to maintain proportions.