The centre of diversity for the genus is Southwest Western Australia, to which 31 of the 33 species are endemic. The south coast of Western Australia, between the Stirling Range and the Fitzgerald River area, is particular diverse, with 17 species occurring on the Esperance Plains alone. This is one of two areas dominated by kwongan heath, a vegetation complex renowned for its species richness and high levels of endemism; the other area of kwongan, further north on the west coast around Mount Lesueur, harbours surprisingly few Adenanthos species.