Compact rounded evergreen Australian native shrub with grey-green rosemary-like leaves and small white or pale lilac flowers throughout the year. The most widely planted Australian native hedge plant.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 9–11 | −6.7 °C to 10 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H3 | −5 °C to 1 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 9 | −1 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 3–7 | −5 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
About Coastal rosemary (Westringia)
Coastal rosemary, a Westringia, is not related to true rosemary at all — the resemblance is in the narrow grey-green leaves rather than in ancestry, and it has no rosemary scent or flavour. It is an Australian native of exposed coastal country, and its tolerance of salt spray, wind and poor sandy soil is why it has become such a standard hedging and mass-planting shrub in coastal developments. It clips well and holds a dense form, and unlike Mediterranean rosemary it is generally more forgiving of humidity.
Growing notes
- Standard Australian native hedge and low windbreak — clips well, tolerates salt and wind, drought tolerant once established, virtually pest free
- Not related to true rosemary (Rosmarinus / Salvia rosmarinus) — Westringia is in the mint family Lamiaceae but the foliage and habit are similar
- Compact cultivars (‘Smokey’, ‘Mundi’, ‘Wynyabbie Gem’) cover almost every garden role from low edging to medium windbreak
- Flowers throughout the year in mild climates — useful continuous low-key bee forage
- Not reliably hardy outdoors in Canada — Canadian zone values shown represent the system maximum and do not imply garden cultivation north of the warmest coastal pockets.
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check Coastal rosemary (Westringia) against your zones