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 irrigation. They 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. 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. Heakea growing zones include 9, 12-17 and 19-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

​Hakea laurina (Sea Urchin, Pincushion Tree)
This species of Hakea has a dense rounded habit and grows to 10-15 feet tall and 9-20 feet wide. It is often trained to be a single-trunked tree. Leaves are narrow and grey-green, often margined in red. Flower clusters resemble pincushions and are crimson and gold. Blooms appear in winter and at times in late fall. Great as a patio tree.

Hakea suaveolens (Sweet Hakea)
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 form. 

​Hakea victoria (Royal Hakea)
Narrow plant that gets 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.

Caring for and pruning Hakea shrubs

Hakea shrubs are considered easy to grow, and require full sun and moderate water as they are getting established in the garden. If planted in shade, flowering will suffer. When planting, young plants may need to be staked to avoid the plant slumping over. This will help it to form a strong main trunk (which is important if you will be training the shrub into a tree). Amend soil with organic material at planting time and mulch around the base of the plant to increase soil moisture retention. At maturity, these shrubs do not need any formal irrigation or fertilizing, just a deep watering during the warmer months of summertime. Prune to shape if necessary; these shrubs naturally form open, arching habits, but can also be trained into small trees. When young, it is a good practice to regularly prune to form a more bushy habit.

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 Seed
  1. 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. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows. 
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

Hakea shrubs and trees do not usually suffer from any pest or disease issues if their preferred growing conditions are met.

Gallery

Hakea flowers are eye-catching and will attract pollinators to your garden.
Hakea victoria can be used to add interesting foliage and color to gardens.
Use Hakea shrubs as screening or background hedges, where both their foliage and flowers can be admired from a distance.

Videos

All about Hakea laurina.
How to propagate a Hakea shrub.

Resources

Hakea laurina Growing Guide
Hakeas: Different Species and How to Grow Them
Wikipedia: Hakea
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 350, Hakea
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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