About
Coastal rosemary (*Westringia fruticosa*) is not a true rosemary, but a fine-leaved Australian shrub that plays the same visual role—gray-green linear leaves and a dense, rounded habit to about 1–2 m tall and wide. Small white to pale lilac flowers with speckled throats appear in waves through the warm months. It tolerates salt breeze, making it useful near Florida and Puerto Rico shorelines, yet still needs drainage during tropical downpours. ☀️💧 **Sun and Water Requirements:** Full sun for tightest habit; tolerates light shade with a looser form. Well-drained sandy or rocky soil; water to establish, then moderate drought tolerance. Avoid chronic wet feet. ✂️ **Methods to Propagate:** - **Cuttings:** Semi-hardwood cuttings root easily under humidity in warm weather. - **Layering:** Low branches touching soil can be pegged and severed once rooted for hedge expansion. 🌾 **Best Use Timing:** Shear lightly after major bloom flushes to keep formal hedges; in informal food forests, prune for clearance around trunks of taller trees. Best planting is at the start of the rainy season for root establishment without daily hand watering.
Permaculture Functions
- **Ornamental: ** Fine texture and neutral color read as “instant structure” in dry gardens and parking strips.
- **Wildlife Attractor: ** Flowers draw small bees and beneficials along sunny edges.
- **Border Plant: ** Dense form defines paths, dog runs, and orchard understory lanes without thorns.
- **Windbreaker: ** Repeated shrubs in a row trim salt-laden winds along coastal lots.
Practitioner Notes
- Shear lightly after bloom to keep dense hedge—hard cut into old bare wood may not resprout on every clone.
- White flowers read “rosemary” to tourists—flavor is not culinary rosemary; taste before seasoning potatoes.
- Salt spray tolerant does not mean infinite—rinse foliage after hurricane surf weeks to reduce leaf burn speckle.
- Spider mites follow dust and drought—hose monthly in windy coastal lots before stippling bronzes the hedge.
Companion Planting
- Agave
- Lantana
- Bulbine
- Dwarf coconut palm
Pest Pressure