BANKSIA nivea syn. Dryandra nivea

A prostrate shrub with a creeping, suckering habit with a height of not much more than 30 cm making it an ideal native ground cover.
Reddish brown ovate flowers occurring on terminal heads occur during winter to spring. Dark green divided leaves with triangular or sickle shape segments.

Occurs naturally in the regions of the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Swan Coastal Plain, and Warren in the southwest of Western Australia.

Note: Formally known as Dryandra nivea.
Dryandra was considered a separate genus until early 2007 when it was merged into Banksia.

Prefers light well-drained soil in an open sunny position, drought, and frost-resistant.

Grow notes:

Although seed can be sown most of the year in many parts of Australia seed is generally best sown in spring or autumn in temperate climates, avoid the coldest and hottest months of the year. The optimum germination temperature for germination is around 18-22°C

1. The growing medium should be well draining but should remain damp between watering.
2. Sow the seed the depth on the seed size. Vermiculite is a good medium to use to cover the surface as it helps retain moisture and controls the temperature. 
3. Keep moist but not too wet as the seed may rot. Do not let the growing mix completely dry out. 
4. Germination should occur in 21-60 days depending on the temperature and conditions. 

Pre-treatment of smoke: Not considered critical to germination of this species and germination will generally occur without it.
However many members of the Proteaceae family are responsive to the pre-treatment of smoke. Although germination will often occur without smoke treatment it has proved to be beneficial in reducing the number of days to germination and increasing germination rates in many species of the Proteaceae family.
Smoke treatments are simple and can be undertaken either by soaking the seed overnight or by applying it to the surface after sowing, both provide good results. Smoke treatments are available by clicking here.

General note: Seeds of many natives are dormant and require specific conditions or pre-treatment for germination.
Do not be too hasty to discard seed that does not germinate, seeds will often lay dormant until the conditions are similar to their natural requirements for germination to occur. Containers put to one side will often surprise long after they were discarded.

Image by JarrahTree CC BY 2.5 AU cropped and resized.