Hakea

( HAY - kee - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

Hakea is a genus of evergreen shrubs commonly called Needle Bush that require full sun and no formal irrigation to thrive in the landscape. They form a deep taproot, and are drought-tolerant. Species are native to Australia and remarkably diverse in foliage and flowers. They are considered high-quality shrubs for difficult sites and have a look and flower similar to those of Grevillea shrubs. Great for coastlines, they adapt to a variety of soils as long as they have great drainage. Use these plants as patio trees, background or screening shrubs, or as specimen plantings.

Hakea Species and Varietals

The genus Hakea includes around 150 species and is a member of the plant family Protaceae, making them relatives of Leucadendron and Protea. The species was first described in 1797 by Heinrich Schrader and Johann Christoph Wendland and named for 18th-century German botanist Christian Ludwig van Hake. The best areas for cultivating Hakea are USDA hardiness zones 9-11 or Sunset growing zones 9, 12-17 and 19-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Hakea laurina (Sea Urchin, Pincushion Tree, Kodjet, Kojet, Emu Bush, West Australian Cushion Flower)
This species of Hakea has a dense rounded habit and grows to reach 10-15 feet tall and 9-20 feet wide at maturity. It is often trained to be a single-trunked tree in the garden. Leaves are narrow and grey-green, often margined in red. Flower clusters resemble pincushions and are crimson, white and gold. Great as a patio tree or in a small garden.

Hakea suaveolens (Hakea drupacea) (Sweet Hakea, Sweet Needlebrush)
Dense grower to 10-20 feet tall and wide. Dark green leaves and clusters of fragrant white flowers that appear in fall and winter. Useful as a barrier plant background shrub, or screen. Can be pruned into a tree. This species is considered invasive in South Africa.

Hakea victoria (Royal Hakea, Lantern Hakea, Tallyongut, Ochre Warrior, Candlestick)
Narrow perennial evergreen shrub that reaches up to 6-15 feet tall and 5-9 feet wide. Leathery, deep green leaves with yellow, cream, and orange variegation. Flowers are insignificant. Cut foliage used in arrangements. These plants are popular accents in Mediterranean gardens.

Caring For Hakea

Hakea shrubs are considered easy to grow, and require full sun and moderate water as they are getting established in the garden. Ideally, they appreciate between 6 and 8 hours of sun each day for the best blooms. If planted in shade, flowering will suffer and growth rate will be stunted. When planting, install stakes on either side of young plants to avoid having them slump over. This will help them to form a strong main trunk (which is important if you will be training the shrub into a tree). Ensure that soil is well-draining, rich in nutrients, and has a pH of between 6.0 and 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Apply a layer of mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water new plantings regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home. At maturity, these shrubs do not need any formal irrigation, just deep watering during the warmer months of the year.

Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 1 inch of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. Pruning is simple; remove any damaged, diseased, or dead foliage at any time during the growing season, and remove spent flower spikes to neaten up the appearance of plants and encourage reblooms. If forming a shrub, pinch plants back when they are young to form a bushier, more compact structure. If training the shrub into a small tree, prune off all branches that emerge lower on the trunk, never removing more than 1/3 of the plant in a single season. The life span of Hakea shrubs in the landscape is between 10 and 20 years; in their native habitats they can survive for 50 to 100 years.

Caring for Hakea in Containers
Hakea shrubs are wonderful in the ground, but can also be grown in containers. Choose a container that is at least a few inches wider and deeper than the nursery pot or root ball. Ensure that the pot has adequate drainage holes on the bottom to allow for excess water to flow away. Fill with a well-draining potting mix amended with organic material and perlite, and top with a layer of mulch to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water regularly as the plant establishes itself in its new home. Once established, waterings can be lessened. Hakea plants grown in containers will need more frequent irrigation than those grown in the ground. As a general rule of thumb, water whenever the top few inches of soil feels dry to the touch. Prune to remove dead, damaged, or diseased foliage at any time during the growing season. Every few years, check the bottom of the pot to ensure that the plant is not outgrowing its root space. If roots are growing through the drainage holes in the bottom of the container, it is a good indication that it needs to be potted up; choose a slightly larger container and repot.

Propagation

Hakea can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. The cutting method is pretty unreliable; these plants have difficulty setting root, so it is much better and easier to propagate via harvesting and sowing seeds. To propagate your tree or shrub, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Hakea by Cutting

Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. A good substrate for propagation of cuttings is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
In late summer or early fall, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that the plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances the cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6-8 inch softwood or semi-hardwood portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. It should be kept in warm, sunny conditions in a protected area. Water whenever the soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, the cutting should be rooted. New growth indicates the formation of roots.
Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when the seedling can be hardened off and then planted outdoors.

Propagating Hakea by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. The best potting medium for seed germination is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
Harvest your seeds. The seeds are inside woody fruits, and will need to be extracted before sowing. The pods naturally break open when exposed to fire, and release their seeds. Since you won't be setting your garden ablaze just yet, you can mimic these conditions by using an oven or even just your car parked in the sun. Cut the seed pods off of the plant and place them in a paper bag, and then place the bag under a sunny car window with all of the car windows closed. The high temperatures in the car will heat the seeds enough to pop open. The seeds can now be sown.
Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 7-14 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

Hakea seeds are contained inside woody fruits, and must be heated before they will open to release their contents.

Hakea seeds.

Problems and Pests

Certain Hakea species are considered invasive in some regions; see the species descriptions above for more information. Check with local authorities before planting. Hakea shrubs and trees do not usually suffer from any pest or disease issues if their preferred growing conditions are met, though they can at times struggle with the following: