White Thrift

White Thrift (Armeria maritima 'Alba') is the neat evergreen cushion for the front of a border, a rockery pocket or the top of a wall. The grassy foliage sits about 10cm high and spreads to roughly 30cm, and pure white pompom flowers rise on slim stems to about 25cm through spring and into summer. It is built for salt, wind and poor soil.

Why you'll love it

• An edge that never sprawls. The cushion stays tight and rounded, so a row of them holds a crisp line along a path without annual cutting back.
• White flowers that carry. Clean white heads on wiry stems read well against gravel and stone, and bees work them steadily.
• Coastal proof. Salt spray, sea wind and thin sandy soil are its native conditions, so an exposed front garden is no trouble.
• Frost hardy and drought tolerant. It takes cold southern winters and dry summers once the roots are down.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 25cm apart for a continuous ribbon along a path or bed. At that spacing the cushions touch without crowding, which matters because crowded plants rot at the centre.

Rockeries and walls. A gravel pocket or a dry stone wall gives it the sharp drainage it wants, and the flower stems catch the light above the foliage.

Pots and coastal gardens. Small enough for a shallow bowl, and tough enough for a beachside bed where softer perennials burn.

Growing White Thrift in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, all day, for a compact cushion and full flowering. It belongs in cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and is properly frost hardy for the tablelands and the southern states. Humid subtropical summers are its weak point, since the crown rots in warm wet weather.

Soil. Drainage matters more than fertility. Sandy, gravelly and poor soils suit it; heavy clay does not. On clay, plant into a raised bed or a mound with coarse sand and gravel worked through.

Water and feed. Water weekly for the first two months, then only in long dry spells. Feeding is largely unnecessary, and rich soil gives floppy foliage and fewer flowers. A gravel mulch keeps the crown dry.

Pruning. Shear off the spent flower stems once the display finishes, which tidies the plant and often brings a second lighter flush. Divide congested clumps every three or four years in early spring.

What to expect when it arrives

It is supplied as tube stock: a small grassy tuft on a well developed root system, ready to plant straight out. Do not expect flowers in the first few weeks, because the plant puts its energy into roots before stems.

Tube stock travels well and establishes quickly, usually filling out into a recognisable cushion within one growing season and flowering the next spring. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare other plants for rockeries and gravel gardens.
• See what else suits exposed sites in coastal gardens.
• Read our ideas for low growing border plants.
• Browse the wider range of frost hardy plants for cold gardens.

Common questions

How many do I need for a border?

At 25cm spacing you need four plants per running metre for a continuous edge. For a looser, dotted effect, stretch that to 35cm and use three.

Will it grow in the humid subtropics?

Coastal southern Queensland and northern New South Wales are borderline, because humid summer nights encourage crown rot. If you want to try it, use a raised gravel bed in full sun and keep water off the foliage.

Why has the centre of my plant died out?

Old cushions naturally open up in the middle after three or four years. Lift the clump in early spring, split it into rooted pieces and replant the strongest, discarding the woody centre.