Weeping Bridal Veil

Weeping Bridal Veil is the shrub for a hot, exposed corner that has defeated everything else. It grows to around 3m tall and 2.5m wide, a fountain of fine arching green stems rather than conventional foliage, and through late winter and spring those stems vanish under thousands of small white pea flowers with a honey perfume. Retama monosperma, still widely sold as Genista monosperma, is a Mediterranean coastal plant, hence its indifference to drought, salt and poor ground.

Why you'll love it

• Perfume that reaches you. The flowers are tiny, but there are enough of them to scent the garden for six to eight weeks.
• A weeping form few shrubs offer. Slender pendulous stems read as movement rather than mass, a green fountain rather than a bush.
• It asks for almost nothing. Drought tolerant, content in poor soil and frost hardy once established.
• Built for wind and salt. Coastal frontages and open paddock edges suit it, where softer shrubs shred, and fast growth fills the gap in two or three seasons.

Where it works best

Informal screening. Plant 1.5m apart. The habit is airy, so treat it as a filter that softens a view rather than a solid privacy hedge.

Windbreaks and coastal gardens. A staggered double row at 1.5m spacing shelters the beds behind.

Feature and dry gardens. One plant in gravel or at the top of a bank shows the weeping shape best, alongside olives, westringia and other Mediterranean planting.

Growing Weeping Bridal Veil in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, all day. It suits warm temperate, Mediterranean, cool temperate and arid or semi-arid gardens, so most of southern and inland Australia. In humid subtropical gardens the wet season is the limitation, so give it your most open position.

Soil. Drainage matters far more than fertility. Sand, gravel and thin rocky ground all suit it. On heavy clay, plant on a mound about 200mm high and go easy on compost: rich wet soil is what kills it.

Water and feed. A deep weekly soak through the first summer gets the roots down, then water only in a long dry spell. It is a legume and fixes its own nitrogen, so a light slow release feed in early spring is plenty.

Pruning. Trim lightly just after flowering to keep the crown full. Avoid cutting into bare old wood, which reshoots reluctantly.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in tube stock: roughly 100mm to 200mm of top growth on a well developed root system. Plant within a few days, keep the water up for eight weeks, then expect close to a metre of growth in the first full season. Flowering usually begins in the second year.

Tube stock travels well. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Coastal and salt tolerant plants
• Browse the fragrant plant range
• Plants that thrive in poor soil
• Drought tolerant plants

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

About 1.5m apart in a single row. Planting tighter crowds the arching stems and spoils the weeping shape without making the screen denser.

Can I plant it anywhere in Australia?

Not quite. It is recorded as an environmental weed in parts of Western Australia and South Australia, so check your council or state restrictions first if you garden there. Elsewhere it behaves as a well mannered garden shrub.

Does it really have no leaves?

Almost none. The tiny leaves drop away early and the green stems handle photosynthesis, which is why it still looks fresh in drought.