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Hakea gibbosa
Rock Hakea (Hakea gibbosa) is a very prickly, bushy or slender shrub of eastern Australia's sandstone heaths, grown mainly for its cream flowers and wildlife value. Give it full sun and well-drained soil; its needle-like foliage makes it a poor choice near paths.
Hakea gibbosa, commonly known as hairy hakea or needlebush hakea, is a shrub of the family Proteaceae, and is endemic to south eastern Australia. It has very prickly foliage, cream-yellowish flowers from April to July, and provides shelter for small birds. It has become an environmental weed in South Africa and New Zealand, where it had been introduced for use as a hedge plant.
Hakea gibbosa adapts readily to cultivation and is easy to grow with good drainage and a sunny aspect, though its prickly foliage may be a deterrent.
The gum was investigated for use in sustained-release tablets in 1999.
Needlebush hakea is restricted to the Sydney basin in central New South Wales, It is found on sandstone ridges and cliffs in heathland, with red bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera), tea tree (Leptospermum trinervium), dagger hakea (Hakea teretifolia), heath banksia (Banksia ericifolia), and conesticks (Petrophile pulchella).
Mulloway Needle Bush · Column Hakea · Hakea acuminata · Hakea adnata · Enigma Hakea · Hakea ambigua · Prickly Hakea · Hakea anadenia · Yellow Hakea · Big Nellie Hakea · Hakea asperma · Hakea auriculata
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Hakea gibbosa by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
