Westringia brevifolia raleighii 'Lilac & Lace'

Lilac & Lace Westringia / Native Rosemary

Botanical Name: Westringia brevifolia × fruticosa ‘Lilac & Lace’
Family: Lamiaceae
Origin: Australia (hybrid selection)
Plant Type: Evergreen shrub

Overview

A compact, naturally tidy Australian native shrub ideal for Adelaide’s Mediterranean climate, Westringia ‘Lilac & Lace’ is prized for its fine, silvery-green foliage edged with soft creamy margins and delicate lilac-mauve flowers that appear for much of the year, peaking in spring and autumn. It holds its neat rounded shape with minimal trimming and performs exceptionally well in coastal, dry and heat-exposed sites. Hardy, waterwise and low-maintenance once established, it’s perfect for borders, native gardens, driveways and modern landscape designs requiring gentle colour and evergreen structure.

Key Features

• Mature Size: 0.6–0.8 m H × 0.6–1.0 m W (compact, rounded habit)
• Growth Rate: 15–30 cm per year under good conditions
• Foliage: Fine silvery-green leaves with soft creamy variegated edging; may develop subtle purple, grey or bronze tints in cold, wind-exposed or very dry conditions
• Flowers: Soft lilac-mauve blooms produced intermittently year-round, strongest in spring and autumn
  
• Fragrance: Not considered fragrant (foliage may have a mild herbal note when crushed)
• Seasonal Interest: Evergreen year-round → peak lilac flowering in spring/autumn → light bloom through the warmer months with subtle seasonal foliage tints
• Wildlife Value: Attracts bees, small pollinators and beneficial insects; dense foliage offers habitat for small garden fauna
• Tolerance: Heat-Tolerant; Drought-Tolerant once established; Wind-Tolerant; Coastal-Tolerant (front-line); Light Frost Hardy; handles poor, sandy or rocky soils typical of SA
• Planting Density: Low hedge/border: 40–60 cm apart (≈ 2 per metre). Mass planting: 3–4 per m²
• Pet Friendly: Non-toxic to cats and dogs

Where It Works Best

• Sunlight: Full sun to part shade; best flowering in full sun
• Soil: Free-draining sandy or loamy soils; tolerates limestone soils and light clay if not waterlogged
• Water Needs: Establishment: 2 deep soaks/week for 8–12 weeks. Established: deep soak every 2–3 weeks in summer; monthly in winter if dry
• Maintenance: Very low-maintenance. Light trim once or twice a year to maintain roundness; avoid hard pruning into old wood. Mulch in spring; use low-phosphorus native fertiliser only if required
• Lifespan: 10–20+ years
• Climate Zones: Ideal for Mediterranean & temperate SA — Adelaide Plains, coastal suburbs, Yorke Peninsula, Fleurieu Peninsula, and low-rainfall inland regions
• Soil pH: Neutral to alkaline; tolerates slightly acidic soils if drainage is good

Landscape & Design Ideas

• Neat low borders or clipped mounds along paths and driveways
• Modern coastal or native plantings needing a compact, evergreen structure
• Mass plant for soft, silvery-green texture with subtle lilac highlights
• Pair with Lomandra, Myoporum, Grevillea and Leucophyta for a cohesive SA-native palette
• Excellent in courtyard or alfresco pots for year-round shape and colour

Why You Will Love It

‘Lilac & Lace’ offers dependable evergreen form, soft variegated foliage and gentle lilac blooms while thriving in Adelaide’s heat, dryness and coastal conditions. Low-maintenance, compact and beautifully textured, it brings elegance and resilience to native, modern and waterwise landscapes with almost no fuss.