NEW BANKSIA CULTIVARS FOR CUT FLOWER PRODUCTION

Selection and breeding of new Banksia cultivars concentrates on the cut flower species B. coccinea, B. menziesii, B. hookeriana and B. prionotes. Selection criteria include number of blooms per plant, time of flowering, stem length, inflorescence size, color and shape, rooting ability and tolerance to the root rot fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi.

Selection for bloom color is important for B. coccinea and B. menziesii. The predominant bloom color for B. coccinea is scarlet, but yellow, pink, orange and dark red variants have potential as new cultivars.
For B. menziesii, the predominant color is pink, with yellow, apricot, red and bronze variants.
Color stability is a problem with some B. menziesii variants, and only stable genotypes are included in the selection programme.

Techniques have been developed for root induction, and for screening roots for tolerance to Phytophtora infection.
Future work will address grafting of banksias and the development of root rot tolerant rootstocks.
Three cultivars have been registered from the programme so far.
Waite Orange is a vigorous natural interspecific hybrid between B. hookeriana and B. prionotes. Waite Crimson and Waite Flame are both B. coccinea selections, with Waite Crimson a mid season dark red variant and Waite Flame an orange red early season cultivar.

IV International Protea Working Group Symposium

M. Sedgley

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1997.453.8