The species is almost totally restricted to the swales and lower slopes of dunes. Various reasons for this have been proposed; on the one hand, it has been argued that its dependence on ground water necessitates that it grow only where ground water is relatively near the surface; on the other hand, it has been suggested that it cannot survive in higher parts of the landscape because fires are too frequent there. The latter hypothesis is supported by the recent expansion of "B. prionotes" along road verges of the Brand Highway, where fires are relatively rare. Despite "B. prionotes" occurrence in lower parts of the landscape, it does not occur in areas prone to flooding, because of its intolerance of heavy soils, and because extended periods of flooding kill seedlings. However, recent falls of the water table on the Swan Coastal Plain have seen "B. prionotes" replace the more water-loving "Banksia littoralis" in some areas that were previously flood-prone.