Westringia Wynyabbie Gem Topiary Ball

The Wynyabbie Gem topiary ball gives you a clipped native sphere without waiting three seasons to build one. Left to grow, Westringia 'Wynyabbie Gem' forms a rounded shrub about 1.5m tall and wide, and held as a ball it stays wherever you stop trimming. The fine grey green foliage carries mauve flowers through the warmer months, and the plant behind the shape is a coastal native that takes salt, wind, frost and long dry spells.

Why you'll love it

• A finished shape on arrival. The 300mm plants come already clipped, so the formal look starts the day you plant rather than three seasons later.
• Tough behind the good manners. Frost hardy, drought tolerant once established and comfortable with salt spray, which is rare in a formal plant.
• Grey foliage that lifts what sits near it. The silvery leaves read as a highlight against dark green hedges, rendered walls and charcoal pots.
• Flowers the bees work. Small mauve flowers appear on and off from late winter into summer, even on regularly clipped plants.

Where it works best

Entries and matched pairs. Two balls either side of a gate or a front door carry a whole facade. Keep them in matching pots and trim them on the same day.

Pots and courtyards. A container at least 400mm across suits a single ball, and the dry tolerance means a missed watering is not fatal.

Low clipped hedging. Planted 1m apart the balls meet into a continuous low hedge that you can square off or leave rounded.

Growing Wynyabbie Gem westringia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun keeps it dense, and in shade it opens up and loses the tight outline. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens and takes frost without damage. Wet tropical gardens are the one place it sulks.

Soil. Drainage matters far more than fertility. Sandy and gravelly ground suits it. On heavy clay, plant on a raised mound and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the stem.

Water and feed. Deep water once a week through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. A low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring is plenty, since rich feeding pushes soft growth that blurs the shape.

Pruning. Light and often beats hard and rare. Two or three trims a year taking only the soft new growth hold a crisp ball. It is slow to reshoot from bare old wood, so never cut back past the leaves.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold in two sizes. The tube is a young unshaped plant and the value choice if you are happy to build the ball yourself with regular tip pruning. The 300mm is the finished article, an established plant already clipped into a sphere and ready to place.

Plants travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect a quiet few weeks while roots move into the surrounding soil, then steady growth from the first warm spell. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to grow and prune westringia
• Browse Australian native shrubs
• Plants that cope with a coastal site
• Shrubs that perform in pots

Common questions

How often does it need trimming?

Two or three light trims a year keep the ball crisp. Take only the soft new growth after each flowering flush rather than waiting for the shape to blur and then cutting hard.

How far apart for a low hedge?

One metre apart. At that spacing the plants meet without crowding, and each keeps enough light to stay furnished at the base.

Will it handle frost?

Yes. It is frost hardy and grows well in cool temperate and Mediterranean districts. Winter wet in poorly drained soil does more damage than cold ever will.

Can it live in a pot long term?

Yes, in a pot 400mm or wider with free draining mix. Refresh the surface of the mix each spring and repot every two or three years.