Hakea victoria

Plant lovers looking for a challenge. This amazing perennial shrub with bushy growth is cultivated for the appeal of its large leathery leaves, which vary in colour from green-grey to yellow, orange, and red depending on the season. It is a heat and drought-tolerant cousin of the proteas, but sensitive to cold and wind. Strange, spectacular, and fascinating, it is best grown in large pots outside the mildest areas, not only to control the composition of the growing substrate but also because it is imperative to store the plant above -5°C (23 °F) over winter.

Hakea victoria is a perennial shrub of the protea family. It is endemic to the coastal and semi-desert regions of Western Australia where it was discovered in 1847 by the botanist James Drummond. In humid regions, the foliage rarely develops the intense colouring that makes this plant so attractive. Strange in every way, proteas need fire to germinate their seeds. The Hakea develops multiple thick, sparsely branched stems, giving it an upright and narrow habit. It reaches an average height of 2m (6 ft 7 in) with a spread of 1m (3 ft 4 in) under good conditions. The stems bear alternate, rounded, undulate, leathery, rigid, concave leaves measuring about 20cm (7.9 in) by 12cm (4.7 in). They are strongly toothed and have spines along the edges. The leaf is traversed by clear and highly visible veins and adopts a whole range of colours ranging from cream to yellow, orange, and red, which are more pronounced in dry soil. Flowering occurs from February to March, in the axils of the large leaves. These are inflorescences consisting of 26 to 40 small cream-white to pale yellow flowers, which have little ornamental interest but are loved by pollinating insects. They give way to woody pods about 25mm (1 in) long containing two winged seeds. These pods only release the seeds after the passage of fire.

Hakea victoria is a sensational plant that leaves no one indifferent. It will settle in sheltered coastal gardens, spared from heavy frosts, in light, poor, sandy soil. Particularly adapted to the Mediterranean climate, it tolerates poor, dry to arid soils and will look good when isolated on large slopes or in the background of dry garden beds, but always in an open position, in full sun. In an exotic garden, it can be associated with Canarian or Madeiran Echium, Puya, Euphorbia characias, Euphorbia mellifera, Leptospermum, Leucadendron, or even Melianthus major.

An original root system adapted to poor and dry soils:

Plants that grow in nutrient-poor soils often form a symbiosis with soil fungi that promote water and nutrient absorption. But proteas have chosen a different strategy: they develop a large number of specialized lateral roots along their main roots. These roots are called proteoid roots and are induced by rainfall; they develop under the layer of dead leaves that cover the base of the plant. Rainfall promotes the decomposition of leaves, resulting in the release of nutrients. These ephemeral roots usually dry up at the end of the growing season. They have twice the water and nutrient absorption activity of "normal" roots.