Hakea is one of the major groups in the Protea family and were named for Baron von Hake, a German patron of botany.
There are around 150 species of Hakeas native to Australia and they are an excellent choice for your garden to attract hummingbirds.
Each species has a different type of flower but they are all beautiful and provide a food source of fruits, seeds and nectar. They are closely related to Grevilleas and the two are sometimes confused. The easiest way to tell them apart is by the fruits – grevillea fruits are soft and fall off the plant, but Hakeas have woody unopened fruits that stay on the branches for long periods. Hakeas are found only within Australia, particularly in the south of south-western Western Australia and the east coast. Bird Beak Hakea pods do not open to release the seeds until the environmental conditions are just right, for example after a bushfire. It is very popular with honeyeaters and bees and grows best in a hot dry climate.