Hakea is a group of 130 to 140 trees and shrubs that grow naturally only in Australia. Of these, half grow only in Western Australia, mostly in the southwestern part of the state. Hakeas are closely related to grevilleas. The seed pod of the hakea is hard and woody, with two winged seeds, while grevilleas have leathery seed pods. The leaves of the hakea are usually stiff and hard. The flowers are in rounded or elongated heads. Hakeas are sometimes grown in gardens. After a bushfire, hakea seeds may germinate and form dense thickets. Aboriginal people used the fleshy root of one variety of hakea as an emergency source of water.
