Woollybush Lighthouse

Woollybush 'Lighthouse' (Adenanthos 'Lighthouse') is a Western Australian native grown for soft silver grey foliage on an unusually narrow upright frame. It reaches about 3.5m tall and only 1.2m wide, one of the few real screening plants that fits a bed barely a metre deep. The needle fine leaves are soft to touch, with small red flowers tucked among them.

Why you'll love it

• Tall and very narrow. At 3.5m by 1.2m it screens a fence line or a window without swallowing the garden bed.
• Silver foliage year round. The soft grey needles hold their colour through every season and lift dark green planting around them.
• Soft, not prickly. Despite the fine foliage there is nothing sharp about it, so it works beside a path or a play area.
• Coastal and dry tolerant. Salt tolerant, wind tolerant and drought tolerant once established, a rare combination in a narrow screening plant.
• Birds use it. The small red flowers bring honeyeaters in, even sitting half hidden in the foliage.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1m apart for a narrow screen. At that spacing the columns knit within two to three seasons and the finished screen stays under 1.5m deep.

Hedging. It clips into a soft informal hedge. Hold the same 1m spacing and trim lightly twice a year rather than cutting into old wood.

Coastal gardens. Exposed coastal blocks suit it, provided drainage is sharp. Sand is ideal.

Pots and feature planting. One plant in a 500mm pot gives a vertical accent, and a matched pair frames an entry.

Growing woollybush in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun with good air movement. It suits warm temperate, Mediterranean and cool temperate gardens, and takes light frost only, so hard frosting inland districts are out. Humid tropical and subtropical summers are its other weak point.

Soil. Sharp drainage is not negotiable. It comes from sandy Western Australian country, and wet ground kills it faster than neglect ever will. On clay, build a raised mound and use gravel mulch rather than heavy compost.

Water and feed. Water through the first summer to establish, then very little. Like many Western Australian natives it is phosphorus sensitive, so use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in spring, if anything.

Pruning. Tip prune from the day you plant, which keeps the column dense instead of open. Trim lightly and often. It does not reshoot reliably from bare old wood, so never cut beyond the foliage.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in four sizes: tube, 140mm in packs of ten, 200mm in packs of six and 300mm. Tubes and 140mm plants are young and single stemmed, the sensible choice for a long screen because they establish quickly and cost far less per metre. The 200mm and 300mm plants give height sooner.

Fine foliage can look flattened after transit and lifts within a week. Expect a quiet month while the roots move out, then steady upward growth. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare tall and narrow screening plants
• Salt tolerant plants for coastal gardens
• How to create a hedge and keep it looking sharp
• Browse the native shrub range

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

1m apart in a single row. Because each plant is only 1.2m wide, closer spacing crowds the columns and encourages them to thin at the base.

Why do woollybush plants suddenly die?

Almost always drainage. Water sitting around the roots over a wet winter brings on root rot and the plant browns off quickly. Raise the planting position and keep mulch off the stem.

Can I cut it back hard?

No. It does not reshoot reliably from bare wood, so all pruning has to stay within the foliage. Light, frequent tip pruning from a young age keeps it dense.