Lambertia formosa Sm.

Shrub to 2 m tall, often lignotuberous. Branches ascending; young branches brown, villous. Leaves sessile or shortly petiolate; lamina narrowly obovate to linear or ovate to oblong, from 10 mm long and 7 mm wide to 80 mm long and 2 mm wide, strongly mucronate, glabrous above; hairs below dense, crisped, pale or red-brown; margins revolute. Conflorescence 7-flowered, usually solitary; bracts stiff, reaching to or above suture of perianth. Flowers zygomorphic, crowded, enclosed by bracts. Perianth erect, c. 45 mm long, red or pink, slightly dilated in middle, glabrous outside; sutures equally deep or the adaxial deepest. Hypogynous glands fused. Ovary hirsute; style sparsely pilose in lower half. Fruit irregularly ovoid, 8-10 mm long; beak 3-5 mm long; 2 horns at base of suture to 10 mm long; surface variously spiny to almost smooth. Seeds 2, with an irregular, annular wing.

It grows in temperate places. It can also grow in the subtropics. It needs moist well drained soil. It grows near the coast and in hills near the coast. It grows in heath and open forest. It suits hardiness zones 8-10.

The nectar of the flower is drunk. CAUTION: It can cause headaches. The dried flowers are added to salads.

Plants can be grown from seed. Seed germinate in 25-60 days. They can also be grown from cuttings.