Westringia fruticosa
Common name
coastal rosemary, morning light, McKain’s puzzle
Family
Lamiaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Conservation status
Not applicable
Habitat
In New Zealand this species has been collected four times from the Auckland Region. Twice from hard gumland clay within a cemetery (Waikumete) and in a coastal subdivision (Greenhithe) and twice from joints within basalt lava flows (Mt Albert, Western Springs). These situations appear to be examples of genuinely wild plants. This species is widely cultivated in New Zealand.
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Year naturalised
1997
Origin
Western Australia
Etymology
fruticosa: Shrubby
Reason For Introduction
Ornamental
Life Cycle Comments
Long-lived perennial shrub
Reproduction
Apparently strictly dioecious
Seed
No seed has been observed in any New Zealand wild gathering but this plant is turning up naturalised, so some seed must be produced.
Dispersal
Gravity and possibly birds
Tolerances
Very drought resistant