Hakea laurina (Pincushion Hakea)

Hakea laurina is an upright shrub or small tree with smooth grey bark, 2.5–6.0 m (8 ft 2 in – 19 ft 8 in) high, 3–5 m (9.8–16.4 ft) wide and does not form a lignotuber. The inflorescence consists of 120-190 conspicuous white, deep pink or red pin cushion shaped flowers in the leaf axils. The pedicels are 5.5–9.5 mm (0.22–0.37 in) long and smooth. The perianth is dark pink to red, the pistil 14–19.5 mm (0.55–0.77 in) long, cream-white or occasionally red or dark pink. The flower buds are enclosed in scale-like bracts. Flowering occurs from April to July. The leaves are simple, slightly blue green, flat, smooth, margins entire, lance or egg-shaped and taper to a blunt point at the tip. The leaves are arranged alternately along the branches, 7–21 cm (2.8–8.3 in) long, 6–29 mm (0.24–1.14 in) wide on a stem 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) long and narrowing at the base. The fruit are in clusters of 1-10 per axil, 2.2–3.8 cm (0.87–1.50 in) long, 1.6–2.3 cm (0.63–0.91 in) wide, egg-shaped, smooth, occasionally with rough pitting and ending in a short beak.

Pincushion hakea is endemic to the coastal southwest of Western Australia, the northernmost range being Narrogin and extending east to Esperance.

The habitat is often sandplains, sometimes occurring on sandy clay; most recorded specimens are in the southern districts of its botanical province. Introduced populations are known to exist on Kangaroo Island and in the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia.