Banksia menziessi - Firewood Banksia

Magnificent - that's a fantastic example of the Firewood.

Bernieh:

Of course, it's magnificent! It's another Australian native. LOL!
: > )

It is just starting to bloom now.

LOL ... totally agree Andy! I'd love to be able to grow these but alas they don't like it here - another great Western Australia native. It doesn't like much humidity and gets die-back up here.

Bernieh:

Yes, I've read they don't like the high humidity.
We have the higher humidity in spring and summer...
now we have the hot, dry Santa Ana Wind season
which brings the very low humidities between 10 - 30 percent
(sometimes even lower than 10%) during the day. That's
probably why it's starting to bloom now.

Its certainly lovely

I wouldn't mind humidity levels below 30% - not a chance of that where I live ... sounds like heaven! Of course the humidity you get in spring and summer would be very familiar to me.

Bernieh:

We probably don't have as high as the humidity you receive in the tropics in spring or summer. I know the heat and humidity in the tropics can be pretty oppressive.

I actually don't like the humidity when it's falls below 30% because it can cause a lot of dry skin, eyes and respiratory problems.

The humidity here in the summer is so draining for humans, it is hard on the plants as well ... they have to be pretty tough! Know what you mean about the low levels of humidity too - when you travel out west here into the outback the low levels of humidity in the winter seem to instantly make your skin feel like dead leaves!!

I have recently been to Tresco on the Islles of Silly where they had a nice collection of Proteas. Its the only collection that I know of grown outsde in the UK. Most of them had finnished flowering, but I managed to get a picture of one bloom for my blog.Maybe Andy could I D it. They do seem to thrive on Tresco even though it can be wet and windy.Mind you, when the suns out its glorious!

Bernieh:

I can imagine...the heat and humidity here can be very draining in summer also...my house sometimes feels like a hot greenhouse...and now it feels like a hot, dry sauna. My skin feels like a dead leaves now. LOL!