Hakea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hakea
Hakea laurina (pin-cushion hakea)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Proteales
Family:	Proteaceae
Subfamily:	Grevilleoideae
Tribe:	Embothrieae
Subtribe:	Hakeinae
Genus:	Hakea Schrad. & J.C.Wendl.
Type species
Hakea teretifolia
Species
See text

Hakea is a group of about 150 different kinds of plants. These plants are shrubs or small trees. They belong to the plant family called Proteaceae. All hakea plants grow naturally only in Australia.

Hakea plants have leaves that can be flat or shaped like needles. Their flowers often grow in clusters where the leaves meet the stem. These flowers look a lot like those of another plant group called Grevillea. A key difference is that hakeas have hard, woody fruits. These fruits stay on the plant until a bushfire or until the plant dies. When they open, they release two winged seeds. Hakeas can be found in every state of Australia, but most kinds grow in the south west of Western Australia.

What Hakea Plants Look Like

Hakea plants are either shrubs or small trees. Some have flat leaves, while others have leaves that are thin and pointy, like needles. These needle-like leaves can sometimes be split or have a groove on their underside.

The flowers of hakeas grow in groups where the leaves join the stem. When they are still buds, small leaf-like parts called bracts cover them. Each flower has both male and female parts and sits on a short stem called a pedicel. The flower's outer parts, called tepals (which are like sepals and petals combined), form a curved tube. This tube sometimes splits open as the flower grows.

Inside the flower, there's a long, curved part called the style. Before it fully opens, the tip of the style is tucked away. Once released, this tip helps to present pollen. The fruit of hakea plants is woody and stays on the plant for a long time. It only opens to release its two winged seeds after a bushfire or when the plant dies.

Hakeas are similar to other plants in the Proteaceae family. However, hakeas have single, undivided leaves that grow alternately along the stem. Their flowers are attached directly to the stem (meaning they are sessile) and grow in loose groups in the leaf axils or near bracts. This is different from plants like Banksia.

Hakeas are also similar to Grevillea species. But you can tell them apart because hakeas have woody fruits that stay on the plant, while grevillea fruits are not woody and fall off. Also, the top and bottom of hakea leaves look similar, and their ovary and style are smooth (not hairy, like in grevilleas).

How Hakea Plants Got Their Name

The group of plants called Hakea was first officially described in 1797. This was done by two botanists, Heinrich Schrader and Johann Christoph Wendland. They published their description in a book called Sertum Hannoveranum. The name Hakea was chosen to honor Baron Christian Ludwig von Hake. He was a German supporter of botany (the study of plants) in the 1700s.

Where Hakea Plants Grow

You can find different kinds of hakea plants growing naturally in all states of Australia.

Growing Hakea Plants in Gardens

Hakeas are popular ornamental plants for gardens in Australia. They are often grown as much as grevilleas and banksias. Gardeners have even created new types by mixing different hakea species, called hybrids, or by selecting special varieties, called cultivars. One example is 'Burrendong Beauty'. These plants grow best in light soil that gets watered but also drains well.

Some beautiful hakea species from Western Australia, like Hakea multilineata, H. francisiana, and H. bucculenta, need special care. If you want to grow them in places with more humid weather, they might need to be grafted onto a tougher plant like Hakea salicifolia. This helps them resist a plant disease called dieback.

Many hakea species, especially those from eastern Australia, are very tough. So tough, in fact, that they can sometimes become weeds. For example, Hakea gibbosa, H. sericea, and H. drupacea have become weeds in South Africa. Hakea laurina has spread in eastern Australia and is now considered an environmental weed. Also, Hakea salicifolia, Hakea gibbosa, and Hakea sericea are invasive weeds in New Zealand.

List of Hakea Species

There are many different types of Hakea plants. Here are some of them:

Images for kids

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  Hakea epiglottis

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  Hakea decurrens ssp. physocarpa

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  Hakea corymbosa from southwest WA

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  Hakea petiolaris from southwest WA

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  Hakea bakeriana from NSW Central Coast

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  Hakea archaeoides, from NSW North Coast

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  Hakea seed pod, ACT, Aust.

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  Flower of Hakea laurina (Pincushion Hakea) in Bonbeach, Victoria, Australia

See also

In Spanish: Hakea para niños