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Astelia nervosa 'Westland' (Red Mountain Astelia) - A red foliaged selection of the Mountain Astelia, an evergreen perennial that grows to 2-4 feet tall with 2 to 3 inch wide gradually tapering and arching leaves that are a silver-gray flushed with red bronze colors and turning purple-red in winter.
Plant in part sun to light shade in a well-drained soil. Although this plant can take periods without water and is marketed as a drought tolerant plant in New Zealand, it looks better if given occasional to regular irrigation in our dry summers in California. Hardy to about 20-25 degrees F. This plant is listed as tolerating coastal conditions in New Zealand.
Astelia nervosa can be found growing naturally in the tussock grasslands and meadow conditions on low hills on both North Island and South Island of New Zealand. As with other Astelia this species is dioecious with the male and female flowers on separate plants. Neither are showy and are usually down in the foliage - we have yet to see this plant flower and can find no information on whether this selection is a male or female. There are 25 species of Astelia, 13 are endemic to New Zealand. The genus name comes from combining the Greek words 'a' meaning "without" and 'stele' meaning a "trunk" or "pillar" in reference to these plants not forming a stem or trunk. The specific epithet means "veined" in reference to the 1 or 2 prominent veins on either side of the midrib visible on the lower surface. Astelia have long been considered part of the Liliaceae family but most recent treatment puts them in the Asteliaceae family in the Asparagales order with the relatively unknown genera Collospermum, Milligania and Neoastelia.
This plant was introduced in the US in 2010 by Ball Ornamentals and we grew it from 2010 until 2013.
The information displayed on this page about Astelia nervosa 'Westland' is based on the research we have conducted about it in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about this plant as it grows in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant have performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we have received from others and welcome hearing from anyone with information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information that will aid others to better grow it.
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