Kingia spp.

HardinessZones 9–10

Overview

Kingia spp. is a genus represented by the single species Kingia australis, a very slow-growing trunked plant endemic to southwestern Western Australia. Over many decades it builds a stout, fibrous trunk 3-13 feet (1-4 m) tall, clothed in the persistent bases of old leaves and topped by a dense crown of slender, blue-green to grey-green leaves 16-35 inches (40-90 cm) long that arch outward in a rounded mop. Mature plants produce a ring of cylindrical, drumstick-like flower heads on stalks 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) long that rise around the edge of the crown, each head packed with small cream to white flowers. Flowering often follows summer bushfires. The trunk grows only a fraction of an inch (a few millimetres) per year, so large specimens are centuries old. Kingia spp. resembles the grass-trees (Xanthorrhoea spp.) but is unrelated and differs in its stalked, ringed flower heads. It needs sharp drainage and a Mediterranean climate, is intolerant of root disturbance, and transplants poorly once established.

Native Range

Kingia spp. is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia, where K. australis grows in jarrah and marri forest, woodland, and sandy heath on well-drained soils. Its range lies within a winter-rainfall, summer-dry Mediterranean climate.

Suggested Uses

Kingia spp. is used as a long-lived feature plant in native, dry-climate, and collector gardens, and in containers while young. It suits sandy, low-water landscapes within its narrow climate range. Its slow growth and exacting drainage needs make it unsuited to general garden use or cold, wet regions.

How to Identify

Look for a single, fibrous, unbranched trunk topped by a rounded crown of long, narrow, blue-green leaves, with dead leaves hanging or forming a skirt below the green crown. The separating feature is a ring of long-stalked, drumstick-shaped flower heads standing up around the rim of the crown. This ringed arrangement sets it apart from Xanthorrhoea spp., which bears a single tall flower spike from the centre.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 13'

Width/Spread4' - 6'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowering occurs mainly in spring and early summer, often in greater numbers in the season following a summer fire. The drumstick heads hold cream to white flowers over several weeks. Many years can pass between heavy flowering events.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

cream to white

Foliage Description

blue-green to grey-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 6.5(Acidic)

357912

Soil Types

sand rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

10+ years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Plants grow in full sun on sharply drained sandy or gravelly soils within a warm, winter-wet, summer-dry climate. Establishment is slow, and young plants need measured watering through dry spells without waterlogging, which causes root and trunk rot. Mature plants tolerate extended drought and periodic fire, resprouting from the protected growing point. Phosphorus-rich fertilisers can harm this species, as with many southwestern Australian natives. Growth is measured in millimetres per year, so plants change little within a human timeframe. Cold below about 25F (-4C) damages the foliage.

Pruning

No pruning is required. Dead leaves can be left as a natural skirt or removed for appearance, and spent flower stalks can be cut away after the heads dry. Cutting into the single growing point kills the plant, since it cannot branch or resprout from the trunk.