Coastal rosemary

Sun

Full sun is best; tolerates light shade but grows more loosely and flowers less.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then deeply during extended dry spells. Established plants tolerate drought; containers need more frequent watering.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, loamy or gravelly soil; tolerates a range of soil pH. Avoid persistently wet ground.

Height

4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m)

Spread

5-8 ft (1.5-2.4 m)

Flowers

Small white flowers with purple or reddish spotting, mainly in spring and summer; scattered flowers may appear throughout the year in mild climates.

Foliage

Evergreen. Narrow grey-green leaves with pale, softly hairy undersides, arranged in whorls around the stems.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Plant after frost risk has passed, in freely draining ground.
• Water through the first growing season, allowing the soil surface to dry between soakings.
• Apply a shallow mulch, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Feed lightly in spring only if growth is weak; avoid heavy applications of fertiliser.
• In colder areas, grow in a container and overwinter somewhere bright, cool and frost-free.

Pruning. Lightly trim in spring after the main flower flush to maintain a dense mound or hedge. Keep cuts within leafy growth and avoid severe cutting into bare old wood, which may not regrow reliably.

Spring

Plant once frost risk has passed and water thoroughly.

Late spring

Lightly trim after flowering, keeping cuts within leafy growth.

Summer

Water new plants during dry weather; check containers frequently.

Late summer

Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots.

Autumn

Check drainage and avoid pruning that encourages tender growth before winter.

Winter

Protect container plants from hard frost and keep compost only lightly moist.

• Plant as an informal coastal hedge where wind and salt spray limit less tolerant shrubs.
• Clip into rounded mounds beside paths or gravel terraces for evergreen structure.
• Combine with lavender, rock roses and ornamental grasses in a dry, sunny border.
• Use in a large, freely draining container on a sunny patio, with winter shelter where needed.

Garden styles it suits: Coastal, Australian native, Mediterranean, Dry gravel garden, Low-maintenance and Contemporary minimal.

Plant it with: Lavender, Rock rose, Lomandra, Kangaroo paw, Blue fescue and Agapanthus.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees and other visiting insects. Dense shrubs offer shelter for small garden animals.

• Root rot in wet soil: improve drainage or relocate to a raised bed; do not keep the root zone constantly wet.
• Frost-scorched leaves and dead shoots: shelter plants during cold spells and wait until spring growth starts before removing damaged wood.
• Sparse, woody growth in shade: move to a sunnier position and trim lightly while stems are still leafy.
• Scale insects: check stems and leaf undersides; remove small infestations by hand or use a labelled horticultural oil according to its instructions.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses, although specific safety information is limited. No part is recognised as seriously poisonous, but this is not culinary rosemary and should not be used as a food herb.

• Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

  Culinary rosemary has strongly aromatic leaves in opposite pairs, usually with rolled edges. Coastal rosemary has leaves in whorls, usually of three or four, and lacks the familiar rosemary scent.

• Long-leaved westringia (Westringia longifolia)

  Its leaves are generally longer, narrower and greener, giving the shrub a finer, more open appearance than coastal rosemary.

Westringia honours Swedish physician and botanist Johan Peter Westring, fruticosa means shrubby, and coastal rosemary refers to its seaside habitat and rosemary-like leaves.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer or early autumn and root them in a free-draining propagation mix under cover. Cuttings preserve the characteristics of named cultivars.

Accepted botanical name

Westringia fruticosa

Native range

New South Wales and Queensland.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.