Grey Box Coastal Rosemary

Grey Box Coastal Rosemary (Westringia fruticosa 'Grey Box') is the native answer to box hedging. It grows to just 0.8m tall and wide, carries fine grey green foliage that clips into crisp shapes, and opens small white flowers on and off through the year. Where English box sulks in heat and salt wind, this compact coastal native keeps its composure.

Why you'll love it

• A box hedge without the box troubles. Bred specifically for low clipped hedging, it holds a tight ball or ribbon with a few passes of the shears and shrugs off the heat that browns traditional box.
• Grey foliage that flatters everything. The soft grey green reads beautifully against green lawns, dark fences and rendered walls, and it makes flowering neighbours look brighter.
• Tough on every front. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, salt and wind tolerant, and happy in poor soil. Very few hedging plants cover all five.
• Safe around pets and good to pollinators. It is not toxic to cats or dogs, and the white flowers feed bees and butterflies for much of the year.
• Genuinely low maintenance. No deadheading, no spraying, no fuss. Clip it and walk away.

Where it works best

Low hedges and borders. Plant 50cm apart for a dense hedge you can hold anywhere from 40cm to 80cm. It suits path edges, garden bed frames and the front of a fence line.

Coastal gardens. Coastal rosemary grows naturally on exposed clifftops, so salt spray and sea wind are home ground. Use it where a hedge cops the weather first.

Mass planting and shapes. Grouped in blocks or clipped into repeated balls, the grey foliage gives a formal structure that stays put all year with two or three trims.

Growing Grey Box Coastal Rosemary in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun keeps it densest; light part shade is fine at the cost of a little tightness. It performs in subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid climates, which is close to the whole country outside the wet tropics, and it takes frost once established.

Soil. Any soil that drains, from coastal sand to loam. It tolerates poor soil well; on heavy clay, mound the bed slightly.

Water and feed. Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. A native slow release fertiliser each spring is all it needs.

Pruning. Clip little and often through the warm months rather than hard once a year, and avoid cutting back into bare old wood, which is slow to reshoot on westringias.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow Grey Box from tube stock through 140mm, 200mm and 250mm pots to 300mm plants, with the middle sizes sold in multi-plant packs sized for hedging runs. Tubes are small but establish quickly and are the economical way to plant a long border; the larger pots give an instant edge.

Plants travel well and settle fast, with new growth usually showing within a month in warm weather. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to create a great hedge and keep it sharp
• Browse our Australian native plants
• Compare hedging and screening plants
• Westringia 'Zena', a slightly different compact form

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

Space plants 50cm apart in a single row. The gaps close within a couple of growing seasons and the hedge stays furnished to the ground.

How often does it need clipping?

Two or three light trims through the warm months hold a formal shape. If you prefer it loose and natural, one tidy up a year after the main flowering flush is enough.

Is it safe for dogs and cats?

Yes. Grey Box is not toxic to pets, which makes it a sensible low hedge for family gardens where a dog patrols the fence line.

Will it handle frost?

Yes, it is frost hardy once established. Young plants appreciate a little shelter through their first winter in cold inland districts, but mature hedges take regular frosts without marking.