Longleaf Westringia

Longleaf Westringia (Westringia longifolia) is the native hedging shrub to reach for when you want a clipped formal line without the fuss of an exotic. It grows to about 2m tall and 1.8m wide, with narrow deep green leaves and small white flowers over a long season. Planted a metre apart it knits into a fine textured hedge, and it holds that shape on poor soil with very little water.

Why you'll love it

• It clips beautifully. Small leaves and dense low branching mean shearing reads as a clean green surface, so hedges, balls and low topiary all work.
• Genuinely tough. Drought tolerant, frost hardy and happy in poor soil, so it needs no enriched bed and no permanent watering roster once established.
• Made for exposed coastal blocks. Salt and wind tolerant, which is why it holds its colour where softer hedging plants brown off.
• Native, and the bees notice. White flowers feed native bees and butterflies without dropping fruit or mess onto paving.

Where it works best

Hedging and screening. Plant 1m apart in a single row. At that spacing the plants meet cleanly and you can hold the hedge anywhere between waist height and the full 2m.

Coastal gardens. Salt and wind tolerance make it a sensible seaside choice, as a clipped path edge or a low informal boundary.

Topiary and mass planting. Single plants shape into balls and cones readily. For a massed native bed keep the same 1m spacing.

Growing Longleaf Westringia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the tightest growth and the most flower. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it is frost hardy once established, so cold southern districts are no obstacle.

Soil. Drainage matters more than fertility. It is content in sandy and poor soils, and on heavy clay it should go onto a raised mound with compost worked through. Mulch 75mm deep, kept off the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak once a week through the first summer, then water only in long dry spells. One feed of low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring is plenty, because rich feeding produces soft growth that flops.

Pruning. Trim lightly and often rather than hard and rarely: shear after the spring flush and again in late summer. Avoid cutting into bare old wood, since westringias are slow to reshoot from it and a gap takes a season to fill.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold in one hedging format, a pack of ten 140mm plants. They arrive young and already branching, which is the stage that establishes fastest. Ten plants at 1m spacing covers a 10m run, so measure the line before you order.

Expect a quiet three to four weeks after planting while roots move out, then obvious growth through the first warm season and a closed hedge by the second. Plants are delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete westringia care guide
• Compare the range in Australian native shrubs
• Weigh up the alternatives in hedging and screening plants
• See what else takes salt spray in coastal and salt tolerant plants

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. Planting tighter wastes stock and makes watering harder without closing the hedge any sooner.

How low can I keep it?

Comfortably down to about 60cm with two or three trims a year. Start shaping in the first season rather than letting it reach full height first, because regular light trimming builds the density a low hedge needs.

Is it fast growing?

Yes, it is one of the quicker native hedging shrubs, especially in its first two seasons with regular water. Growth slows near its mature 2m, which makes it easy to hold at a set height.

Will it cope with frost?

It is frost hardy and grows well in cool temperate gardens. Young plants appreciate a little shelter through their first winter, but established plants need no protection.