Hakeas in Spain: useful shrubs with an invasive-species warning

Some Australian Proteaceae can adapt to dry, sunny Costa Blanca gardens with poor, freely drained soil. Hakea includes useful ornamental shrubs, but the genus also includes serious invasive plants. Choosing the exact species matters more than the general label.

Where hakeas fit

Hakeas sit alongside grevilleas, banksias and proteas in the Proteaceae. Most are evergreen shrubs and a few reach small-tree size. Many tolerate heat, drought and poor soil after establishment, but hardiness, lime tolerance and coastal exposure vary by species. Do not buy an unnamed hakea for a barrier hedge.

Species worth seeking out

Pincushion hakea, Hakea laurina, has broad grey leaves and round crimson-and-cream flower heads. Hakea petiolaris has silver-grey foliage and cream flowers on old wood. Avoid buying Hakea sericea or Hakea salicifolia for screening. European plant-health assessments record both as invasive risks, and H. sericea is already recorded as invasive in Spain.

Soil, feeding and water

Hakeas want free-draining soil and full sun. Tolerance of lime varies, and yellow young leaves with green veins can indicate that iron is unavailable in an alkaline root zone. Proteaceae form fine cluster roots adapted to low-phosphorus soils, so avoid ordinary high-phosphorus garden fertiliser. If feeding is necessary, use a low-phosphorus formulation intended for Proteaceae and follow its label. Water new plants while they establish, then match irrigation to the species, soil and exposure.

Pruning

Prune lightly after flowering to shape and keep screening plants dense. Hakeas do not reliably resprout from bare old wood, so avoid hard cutting back. The woody seed follicles that follow the flowers are a normal feature and can stay on the plant for years.

A responsible-planting caution

Hakea sericea spreads by wind-blown seed, forms dense stands and can increase fire risk. The European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization records it as invasive in Spain, Portugal and France. Do not plant it, and do not assume a needle-leaved hakea sold under an uncertain name is harmless. Use a reputable nursery, retain the label and keep any hakea well away from open countryside.

Sources and review

This guide was reviewed in September 2026 using Kew Plants of the World Online records for the Hakea species named, research on the phosphorus sensitivity of Proteaceae cluster roots and the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization's 2024 pest risk analysis for Hakea sericea and Hakea decurrens subsp. physocarpa.