Westringia fruticosa

Coastal Rosemary / Native Rosemary

Botanical Name: Westringia fruticosa
Family: Lamiaceae
Origin: Australia
Plant Type: Evergreen shrub

Overview

Westringia fruticosa is a coastal-tough, low-maintenance evergreen that thrives across Adelaide and SA. Naturally neat with fine, rosemary-like leaves, it flowers for much of the year in soft mauve-white, bringing gentle colour and reliable structure to water-wise gardens, courtyards and coastal sites.

Key Features

• Mature Size: 1-2 m H x 1-2 m W
• Growth Rate: 30-50 cm per year under good conditions
• Foliage: Soft grey-green, narrow leaves in whorls; dense, tidy habit
• Flowers: Pale mauve to white flowers for much of the year (peak in spring and again in autumn)
• Seasonal Interest: Year-round evergreen texture with extended bloom periods
• Wildlife Value: Attracts native bees; dense branching offers shelter for small birds
• Tolerance: Drought-tolerant once established; excellent salt & wind tolerance; light frost tolerant; copes with poor, sandy or limestone soils if drainage is good
• Planting Density: Hedge: 1 plant per metre for dense cover (0.7 m for very tight screens); Specimen: 1.5-2 m apart
• Pet Friendly: Generally non-toxic; discourage chewing of any ornamental plant

Where It Works Best

• Sunlight: Full sun to part shade
• Soil: Well-drained loam, sandy loam or improved clay; avoid chronic waterlogging
  
• Water Needs: Establishment: 2 deep soaks/week for 8-12 weeks. Established: deep soak every 10-14 days in summer; monthly in winter if dry.
• Maintenance: Mulch in spring; light clip after flowering or 2–4×/yr to keep formal shapes; fertilise in early spring (low-phosphorus native blend if planting with natives)
• Lifespan: 15-25 years
• Climate Zones: Suited to temperate and Mediterranean SA gardens, including coastal areas
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic to alkaline

Landscape & Design Ideas

• Coastal and poolside gardens where salt spray and wind defeat fussier shrubs
• Formal low hedges, cubes or spheres that hold a clean line with just a few trims per year
• Containers and courtyards: holds shape and colour in large pots; perfect flanking entries or sunny patios

Why You Will Love It

Beautifully silvery, tidy and tough, Coastal Rosemary looks premium year-round with very little input. It handles Adelaide heat, coastal wind and low water, flowers for months, and clips into elegant hedges or shapes that lift any front verge or courtyard.