Pincushion Hakea

~ Hakea laurina ~

PROTEACEAE

The cherry-red pompom Pincushions, with their styles all in a spherical cluster of spider-legs, make for an incredibly eccentric garden companion. Similar to their Red Poker sisters, the Pincushions are also decreasing in the wild and are listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as vulnerable. It’s stated that at least 30 per cent of the Hakea laurina population and its habitat is suspected to have been cleared through agriculture in the 1960s and that these plants are now hanging on in verges and roadsides, without proper fire regimes, susceptible to polluted agricultural run-off, invasive weeds and roadside damage. For those in the south-west of the country, keep an eye out for ways you can help your community of Hakeas: you can get involved in projects that reduce local weed populations and support Indigenous-led fire regimes and programs set up for the conservation of vulnerable flora (and fauna).

WHERE TO LOOK

The Pincushion Hakea is endemic to the south-west floral hotspots of Western Australia. It’s seen in the sandplains from Narrogin in the wheatbelt region down to Esperance Plains. This area is also known as the Eyre Botanical District, a biogeographic region on granite and sandy soils rich in floral Mallee-heath and proteaceous scrub. The Pincushion Hakea can also be seen around the capital cities of South Australia, Victoria and lutruwita (Tasmania), where it has been introduced and cultivated.

FEATURES

The Pincushion grows to be a 3–8m tall shrub. Its beautiful grey-green, leathery leaves are 8–15cm long and 2.5cm wide with pale longitudinal veins. Its 6cm ball-like inflorescence is cream in youth and turns bright red in maturity. The unique buds, encased in scale-like bracts, open out to reveal 120 to 190 white, deep pink or red flowers with long white styles. The round, slightly beaked woody fruit sit in clusters of one to ten.

FLOWERING SEASON

Autumn and winter → The Pincushions can be seen rolling out from April to July.

PLANTING

Seeds are available online and in specialty nurseries. To harvest seeds, cut the pods off the tree and place them in a paper bag in a warm spot (like the dashboard of your car) and they will crack open, exposing flaky seeds. Vermiculite is commonly used in propagation to increase water and nutrient retention and aerate the soil. Place a covering of horticultural vermiculite over your Hakea laurina seeds, with germination occurring in around two to three months (this process can be applied to most, if not all, Australian native seeds).