Burrendong Beauty Hakea

Burrendong Beauty Hakea (Hakea 'Burrendong Beauty') is a wide, low native hybrid, about 1.5m tall and 3m across, with stiff, somewhat prickly leaves. In winter the stems fill with spidery pink and white flowers that open between the leaves. It is a first rate wildlife refuge, though it dislikes high humidity and heavy soil.

Why you'll love it

• Winter flowers. Pink and white spidery flowers line the stems in the cooler months, when few other shrubs are in bloom.
• Shelter for small birds. The layered, somewhat prickly foliage gives small birds protected cover close to the house.
• Wide and low. It grows twice as wide as it is tall, so it fills a gap at ground level without blocking views.
• Safe to plant. It sets very little seed, so it will not spread into bushland.
• Tough once settled. Established plants tolerate moderate frost and dry spells.

Where it works best

Feature planting. Place it where its winter flowers can be seen, and allow 3m between plants and 2m from walls so the wide habit has room.

Native and wildlife gardens. Use it as the dense, prickly layer in a native planting, where small birds can shelter.

Dry, sunny positions. Its best sites are open and free-draining, with air movement around it. A humid, sheltered courtyard is not its idea of home.

Growing Burrendong Beauty Hakea in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, which also encourages denser growth. It tolerates moderate frost and dry spells once established but does not like high humidity, so it suits Mediterranean, warm temperate, cool temperate and drier inland gardens better than the humid coast.

Soil. Most free-draining soils. Avoid heavy soils that hold water.

Water and feed. Water regularly until established. Feed in spring with a slow release native fertiliser with phosphorus under 3 per cent, because hakeas can be sensitive to it. Stake young plants in windy spots.

Pruning. Little pruning is needed. If you must tidy it, trim lightly after flowering, and avoid cutting into leafless stems.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Burrendong Beauty Hakea as tube stock (a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly) and in 140mm pots in packs of 10. Tubes suit a bigger planting, and the 140mm pots give a sturdier start in a windy site.

Tube stock comes from our grower and is not always available. When the tube shows as sold out, the grower has none at the moment, and the notify button on the page emails you the day it is back.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• More Australian native shrubs
• Designing a native garden to attract wildlife
• More drought tolerant plants
• The grevillea care guide, which covers the phosphorus rule hakeas share

Common questions

Does it suit a humid coastal garden?

It dislikes high humidity and heavy soils, so it is a better pick for drier climates. In humid subtropical gardens, a grevillea is the safer choice.

Will it spread into bushland?

No. It sets very little seed, so it is safe to plant.

Where does Burrendong Beauty come from?

It appeared at Burrendong Arboretum in New South Wales in the 1980s. It is a hybrid, probably between Hakea myroides and Hakea petiolaris, and is often listed as Hakea crassinervia.