Hakea mitchellii Meisn.

Growth Form and Size

Hakea mitchellii Meisn. is a dense, rounded, medium to large shrub that grows 1 to 4 meters (3 to 10 feet) tall and wide, and does not form a lignotuber.

Leaf Characteristics

Its leaves vary in shape from terete and linear to ovate, ranging from 3.5 to 10 centimeters (1 to 4 inches) long and 1 to 10 centimeters (0.4 to 4 inches) wide.

Flower Details

Profuse, showy white or cream flowers grow in racemes in leaf axils, appearing between October and January within the species' native range.

Fruit Characteristics

The plant produces ellipsoidal to ovoid fruit that is 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) long by 0.5 to 1.5 centimeters (0.2 to 0.6 inches) wide, tapering to a small beak.

Common Name and Habitat

This species, commonly called desert hakea, grows in mallee-heath vegetation on calcareous sandy soil.

Species Distribution

It is primarily a South Australian species, found on the Eyre, Yorke, and Fleurieu Peninsulas, Kangaroo Island, and south of the Murray River to Naracoorte, with its range extending into western Victoria.