Quick Screen & Habitat: Hakea salicifolia
This is the Willow Leafed Hakea or Hakea salicifolia, friend to Hakea sericea, the reason I think they are friends is that they have a lot in common, plus they were growing so happily together when I took these photos 😉 as you can see in the image below.
Hakea salicifolia is a fast growing large shrub reaching between 4-5 metres high and 3-4 metres wide. It has a large tough leaf and flowers profusely in winter and spring attracting bees and many small birds.
The dense habit provides excellent protective cover for small birds and the flowers offer food sources for birds of all sizes.
Hakea salicifolia is a very quick grower and therefore makes a useful screening plant, an annual prune will ensure it remains thick and bushy and doesn’t get too tall. It prefers an open open, well drained sunny location in an area with moderate rainfall, it is also frost tolerant. So if you are looking for a hedge or back ground screening plant that will also provides for the wildlife why not give it a try?
Beautiful Shrubbery screen plants….easy to grow, hardy survivors in challenging climates in the Central West….Ours have been with us 18 years.
Can you give an indication of their longevity please?
Hi Glenn,
If yours are 18 years old you are doing really well, do you regularly prune them?
If they are looked after with fertiliser, regular pruning and watering they shouldn’t be as susceptible to pests like borers which are often the culprits for killing quick growing native plants.
I would say 20 years would be a pretty good innings 😉
Best Wishes,
Kath
What spacing should they planted at for a hedge please?
Hi,
I would space them between 1.5 and 2 metres apart for a thick screen,
Best Wishes,
Kath
Hi Kath – How fast will these grow? I’ve about to plant mature 2m tall plants and am hoping they’ll grow pretty quickly to block out our neighbour’s house. Any suggestions when planting them? I’m a novice (to say the least).
Hi Claire,
Hakeas should grow about a metre a year, especially in full sun with well drained soil and regular watering. I would keep them tip pruned to encourage a nice dense habit.
Good luck!
Kath
Hi we have just planted a hedge with tube stock and I was wondering how I should prune them?
Hi Emily,
If you have put them in quite small, an all round tip prune twice a year should give you a lovely dense green,
Best Wishes,
Kath