Banksia Lemanniana - Ecology

Ecology

A variety of pollinators have been recorded visiting the flower spikes, including New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata), native and European honey bees, wasps and ants. The upside down flower spikes drip nectar onto the ground or lower leaves, suggesting pollination by nonflying mammals which are attracted to the scent.

Banksia lemanniana is killed by fire and regenerates from seed. It is unclear how quickly seedlings take to reach flowering in the wild, but cultivated records suggest around five or six years. If fire occurs too frequently, plants are burned before reaching maturity or before they have produced sufficient seed to ensure regeneration of the population. This may cause a population decline or even local extinction. Too long a time between fires also causes population decline, as more plants die of natural attrition without releasing their seed, resulting in seed wastage.

Banksia lemanniana has been shown to have a low to moderate susceptibility to dieback from the soil-borne water mould Phytophthora cinnamomi, unlike many Western Australian banksias. A study on cultivated plants in South Australia inoculated with P. cinnamomi and P. citricola found B. lemanniana to have an overall low susceptibility overall to both organisms, although 2 to 3 week old seedlings appeared more vulnerable than 10 month old ones.