Westringia fruticosa White Rambler

Westringia fruticosa White Rambler is a more compact form of Australian Rosemary with pure white flowers. Just like common rosemary, this dense shrub with a very rounded habit belongs to the Lamiaceae family, also has evergreen leaves in acute green-grey needles with white undersides, and produces small bilabiate flowers. Its flowers are almost pure white, discreetly maculate with small mauve spots on the throat. Its flowering period is remarkably long: abundant in spring, more sporadic in summer and throughout the year in cool and moist soil. Slightly less hardy than common rosemary, it is best grown in the ground only in the mildest climates. However, it adapts very well to pot cultivation in cold regions, bringing a touch of Mediterranean to the terrace throughout the summer before being stored frost-free in winter.

Westringia fruticosa, formerly known as Westringia rosmariniformis, is native to eastern Australia, specifically the south of New South Wales. It is a plant that prefers well-drained and dry, slightly acidic soil, although it tolerates slightly calcareous soils. This shrub has a rounded, slightly spreading habit, supported by stiff square-sectioned branches. Its growth is fairly fast in moist soil. An adult specimen will reach an average of 1 m (3 ft) in all directions. Its evergreen foliage is composed of very narrow, needle-like leaves, measuring 1.5 to 2.5 cm (0.6 to 1 in) long. They are stiff, less leathery than rosemary leaves, and arranged in whorls of 3 to 5. They are dark green on the upper side and white-felted on the underside. Flowering takes place from May to September, especially in spring. The bilabiate flowers are solitary, opening in the leaf axils, at the terminal part of the branches. The flower diameter varies between 8 mm (0.3 in) and 1.5 cm (0.6 in).

Australian Rosemary is a discreetly elegant plant that is fairly easy to grow in mild climates: it is tolerant to soil type, resistant to drought, and not affected by salt spray. Its only enemy is the cold, which can cause it to disappear from -5 °C (23 °F) if the soil is not sufficiently well drained. This shrub is very floriferous and requires little maintenance, except for an annual pruning in late winter to maintain its compact and rounded habit. It forms beautiful hedges by the sea and pairs well with all kinds of shrubs from mild climates such as ceanothes, mimosas, oleanders, bottlebrush, leptospermum, melaleuca or grevillea. The choice is endless, and so it is all a matter of taste. Growing it in a container allows the shrub to overwinter in a cold greenhouse or a very bright and minimally heated conservatory in very cold regions.