This is a grafted form of the very showy Pin Cushion Hakea, Hakea laurina, which hails from south-western WA. This is a wonderful grafted species which means we can now grow these very iconic flowers in areas with higher humidity and a heavier soil, it is actually also a cultivar: Hakea laurina x petiolaris.

I have been using this species for a while in my designs and had actually given up on it thinking it was a dud grafted species which never flowers. However, it turns out it just takes a few years to get inspired!

This is a large shrub or even small feature tree, growing to around 3.5-4m High x 3m Wide, it enjoys a well drained soil in full sun for maximum flowering.

Although the flower is pretty much identical to the straight species Hakea laurina, the shrub itself has quite different leaves, meaning the overall habit is upright and not weeping.

Hakea ‘Pin Ball’ is also a great habitat plant with its dense habit and internal flowers, it attracts honeyeaters and native bees when it flowers from Winter through to Spring. The flowers last for a very long time in a vase and the seed pods are also decorative.

Hakea ‘Pinball’ makes an excellent screening species and responds very well to pruning, it is also drought hardy and copes with heavy frost. The only issue you might have is just making sure the juvenile plant species is well staked until the graft is firm as that point will always be a slightly weak junction. So if you haven’t had any luck with Hakea laurina give this grafted cultivar a try.