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Smokey Coast Rosemary

Westringia fruticosa 'Smokey'

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Smokey Coast Rosemary (Westringia fruticosa 'Smokey') at Roger's Gardens

Smokey Coast Rosemary foliage

Smokey Coast Rosemary foliage

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Smokey Coast Rosemary (Westringia fruticosa 'Smokey') at Roger's Gardens

Smokey Coast Rosemary flowers

Smokey Coast Rosemary flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Smokey Coast Rosemary (Westringia fruticosa 'Smokey') at Roger's Gardens

Smokey Coast Rosemary

Smokey Coast Rosemary

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  6 feet

Spread:  5 feet

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

Hardiness Zone:  8b

Description:

An outstanding medium sized shrub with soft, gray-green leaves with cream edges and a silvery cast; a flush of small white flowers in spring, then sporadically all year; works well as a hedge or screening plant

Ornamental Features

Smokey Coast Rosemary has attractive dark green foliage edged in creamy white with hints of silver on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth. The fuzzy narrow leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter. It features subtle white flowers at the ends of the branches in mid spring.

Landscape Attributes

Smokey Coast Rosemary is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Smokey Coast Rosemary is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Mass Planting
  • Hedges/Screening
  • General Garden Use
  • Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Smokey Coast Rosemary will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It has a low canopy, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Smokey Coast Rosemary makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Massing  Screening  Garden  Container 
Applications
Flowers  Foliage Color  Attracts Wildlife 
Ornamental Features