Common name: Bird Beak Hakea or Bird Hakea

Family: PROTEACEAE

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Origin of Scientific Name

Hakea – after Baron Christian von Hake, a botanist.

orthorrhyncha – Greek 'ortho' meaning straight, and 'rhyncos' meaning beak and referring to the fruit.

Description

This rounded shrub, spreading to 1.5 metres wide, grows up to 2.5 metres high. It flowers from May to September creating a vibrant and prolific display of red flowers clustered around the stems, appearing almost as though the bush is on fire.

Like many other showy hakeas such as H.francisiana and H.multilineata, the Bird Beak Hakea provides a food source during a cold winter and a safe haven for nectar loving critters. The fruit appears on the older wood and resembles the beak of a bird.

With its long, leathery leaves, Hakea orthorrhyncha adds presence to a garden all year round. Stems with woody fruits can be picked, dried and added to a dried flower arrangement as an attractive feature.

Horticultural tips

• Hakea orthorrhyncha is easily propagated from seed and grows well in a variety of sandy, loamy and gravel based soils as long as they drain well.
• Once established, Hakea orthorrhyncha is a hardy plant and grows in full sun.

For more horticultural tips view our Plant Notes section.

View in Kings Park

Visit Kings Park to see Hakea orthorrhyncha at the Roe Gardens precinct in the Grevillea and Hakea garden and the Northern Wheatbelt garden beds. Hakea orthorrhyncha has also been planted in Rio Tinto Naturescape Kings Park (refer to map).

Want more information?

Refer to the profile for this plant on the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions' FloraBase online herbarium.