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Westringia 'Lilac Gem (Lilac Gem Coast Rosemary) - A dense evergreen fast growing upright dense-growing shrub that grows to 6 feet tall or better by as wide with leathery narrow 1 inch long gray-green leaves that are white beneath that radiate out from the dark stems in evenly spaced whorls. The clusters of attractive pale lilac flowers are produced primarily in spring with a scattered bloom throughout the year.
Plant in full sun to light shade. This plant should prove to be dry growing, seaside tolerant, and tolerating cold down to at least 25 degrees F like other similar Westringia cultivars that we have longer experience with. This plant was named by us after it was discovered by our shipping manager Gene Leisch in 2016 as a spontaneous seedling hybrid growing in the demonstration garden near our sales office, where many other Westringia cultivars are growing. It clearly looks to have foliage similar to the white flowering Westringia fruticosa, but with flowers a light lilac color.
The name for the genus was given to it by Sir James Edward Smith, an English botanist and founder of the Linnaean Society in 1788. The name honors Dr. Johan Peter Westring (1753-1833), a botanist and physician to King Charles XIII of Sweden who was a student of Linnaeus.
We sold this cultivar plant from 2018 until 2021 but contine to Westringia fruticosa and many cultivars of it including the variegated forms Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light' and Westringia fruticosa 'Smokey', the low growing Westringia fruticosa Mundi and Westringia fruticosa Low Horizon, the compact gray Westringia fruticosa Gray Box, as well as the hybrids Westringia 'Wynyabbie Gem', Westringia 'Wynyabbie Highlight' and and the compact blue flowering Westringia 'Blue Gem.
This information about Westringia 'Lilac Gem' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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