Hakeas

How to choose a hakea

Pincushion Hakea is the feature plant: a shrub or small tree to about 5m with blue green leaves and the famous red and cream pincushion flowers from autumn into winter, when little else is out. Willow Leaf Hakea is the screening plant, fast and dense to 5m with narrow leaves and cream flowers in spring, the native alternative to a pittosporum hedge. Beaked Hakea is smaller, to about 3m, with stiff narrow leaves and cream flowers, and suits the dry inland and southern gardens.

The trade-off is speed against show: the willow leaf hakea screens fastest, the pincushion hakea takes longer but gives the winter flowers.

Where hakeas work

Hakeas grow in full sun in free draining soil, from sand to gravel to light clay, and they are drought tolerant once established. The pincushion hakea comes from Western Australia and does best in temperate and Mediterranean climates with dry summers; it is less reliable in the humid subtropics. Willow leaf hakea is an east coast native that takes humidity, frost and coastal wind a street back from the beach. All three attract honeyeaters and provide dense cover for small birds. Plant them with the other Australian native shrubs, or build a habitat border from the bird attracting plants.

Planting and spacing

Space a willow leaf hakea screen 1.5m to 2m apart; give the pincushion hakea 3m as a feature tree and beaked hakea 1.5m in a mixed border. Dig a hole twice the width of the pot, do not add fertiliser to the hole, plant level with the soil and mulch with a coarse mulch. Water deeply once a week through the first summer.

Care basics

Hakeas are proteaceous, so feed only with a low phosphorus native fertiliser, once in spring, and never with a general garden fertiliser. Water established plants only in long dry spells; overwatering and heavy soil are the usual causes of failure. Tip prune young plants to thicken them, and prune willow leaf hakea after flowering to keep a screen dense. Pincushion hakea can be top heavy in wind when young, so stake it for the first year in exposed sites. Our guide to designing a native garden for wildlife shows how hakeas fit a habitat planting with grevilleas and grasses.

Common questions

When does the pincushion hakea flower?

Autumn to winter, April to August in most districts, which is why it is valued in a winter garden.

How fast does willow leaf hakea grow?

Fast, about 1m a year once established, reaching a 3m screen in three years from 200mm pots.

Can hakeas be grown in the subtropics?

Willow leaf hakea, yes. Pincushion hakea prefers drier summers and is a gamble in humid coastal Queensland; give it the best drainage you have.

What fertiliser do hakeas need?

A low phosphorus native fertiliser only. Ordinary fertilisers can poison plants in the protea family.