Parrotbush

Parrotbush (Banksia sessilis)

Parrotbush was formerly classified as a Dryandra but it has now joined the Banksia genus!  It is a shrub or small tree up to 5 m tall.  Two different varieties occur in the Perth region. The variety that grows on coastal limestone ridges has slightly different leaves to the variety which grows in the Jarrah understory of the Darling Range.  Parrotbush can form prickly impenetrable thickets.  Abundant cream or yellow flowers occur from late autumn, through winter to late spring.  Its seeds are eaten by cockatoos and parrots, perhaps giving rise to its common name.

Ref: “Leaf and branch: trees and tall shrubs of Perth” by Robert Powell. Published by the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation, 2009.