Sweet-scented Hakea - Hakea drupacea
This shrub was previously known as Hakea suaveolens and is known to many home gardeners as the Sweet-scented Hakea due to the overpowering sweet honey fragrance produced by the flowers in order to attract insects. Growing to 4 metres (over 12') in height it is nearly always found on or around granite outcrops, and mainly near coastal locations to the east of Esperance (the Albany district also has good populations).
Young plants have deeply divided foliage, but the leaves change to almost exclusively undivided as they mature. The creamy white flowers form into 2 cm (3/4") long stubby racemes in the upper leaf nodes to produce attractive floral displays along with a powerful honey fragrance. Flowering is from late March to June, with shrubs coming into full bloom at different times, so usually good displays will be encountered throughout this period.
