Westringia Peppermint Cream

Westringia 'Peppermint Cream' is a coastal rosemary with cream edged leaves, so it lights a bed the way a flowering plant does but holds the effect all year. Westringia fruticosa 'Peppermint Cream' settles at about 1.2m tall and wide, carries small white flowers on and off through the seasons, and takes salt, wind, frost and drought without complaint. For a low native hedge that still looks good in winter, little competes.

Why you'll love it

• Variegation that works twelve months a year. The cream margin on grey green leaves gives constant light in a bed, without depending on a flowering season.
• It stays low by itself. At 1.2m tall and wide it makes a low hedge without constant height control.
• Built for exposed ground. Salt tolerant, wind firm, frost hardy and drought tolerant once established, which covers most difficult front gardens.
• Native flowers for bees. Small white flowers appear through much of the year and are steadily worked by native bees.

Where it works best

Low hedging. Plant 60cm apart in a single row. At that spacing the plants meet into a dense low hedge within two seasons and stay furnished right to the ground.

Mass planting and borders. Groups of three or five at 60cm centres read as a drift of pale foliage that lifts a bed of dark green natives.

Coastal gardens. It takes salt laden wind on an open frontage, so it works where a clipped exotic hedge would burn along the exposed side.

Growing Westringia Peppermint Cream in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the strongest cream margin, and in shade the variegation dulls and the plant opens up. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens and takes frost without damage. Wet tropical conditions are the one climate it dislikes.

Soil. Free draining above all. Sandy and gravelly ground is ideal. On heavy clay, plant on a raised mound, work compost through the bed and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Deep water once a week through the first summer, then only during long dry spells. A low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring is enough, as rich feeding pushes soft growth that loses the tight habit.

Pruning. Trim lightly two or three times a year, taking only soft growth. Watch for plain green shoots reverting from the variegated growth and cut them out at the base, because they grow faster and will take over the plant if left.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold in two sizes, tube and a 140mm pack of ten. Tubes are young single stemmed plants and the value choice for a long run, where planting at 60cm centres adds up quickly. The 140mm plants are established and better branched, and they close a hedge roughly a season sooner.

Plants travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect a quiet month after planting while the roots move out, then steady growth through the first warm season. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Westringia care and pruning guide
• Browse variegated foliage plants
• Compare low hedging plants
• Plants that cope with a coastal site

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

Sixty centimetres apart in a single row. Tighter spacing costs more plants without closing the hedge sooner, and it makes watering the middle of the run harder.

How tall will it get?

About 1.2m tall and wide if left alone, which is why it suits low hedging. Regular light trimming holds it anywhere between 60cm and 1m.

Why has part of my plant gone plain green?

That is reversion, and it is normal in variegated plants. Cut those shoots out where they emerge, otherwise their faster growth gradually replaces the cream edged foliage.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes, in a container 400mm or wider using a free draining native mix. Water more often than a garden plant and trim lightly to keep the shape tight.