Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light' is a versatile, dense, evergreen shrub that resembles boxwood with its bushy foliage and similar landscape applications. However, its striking yellow-variegated, small, pointed leaves set it apart. Morning Light Westringia is a drought-tolerant alternative to traditional boxwood hedges. With its compact size and rounded growth habit, it’s perfect for hedges, borders, groupings, or as a versatile addition to any garden.
Easy to grow, Westringia 'Morning Light' adds structure to both formal and informal gardens. Known for its ability to withstand heavy pruning, it offers endless design possibilities—from tightly clipped geometric shapes and whimsical topiaries to formal borders. This yellow-variegated Westringia grows 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, making it ideal for accentuating gateways, entrances, or driveways as manicured specimens, whether in the ground or in containers. A waterwise Australian shrub, it thrives in both coastal and arid inland climates, tolerating wind, sea spray, and the wet soils often associated with bioswales.
A cultivar of Westringia fruticosa, 'Morning Light' is also known as Westringia rosmariniformis 'Morning Light' or Yellow Variegated Coast Rosemary. Its non-fragrant white flowers bloom in spring and resemble rosemary flowers but are slightly larger. The grey-green leaves, edged with creamy-yellow variegation, give the plant its distinctive appearance. While the common name "coast rosemary" refers to the leaf shape’s resemblance to Rosmarinus, Westringia leaves are neither edible nor fragrant like common rosemary.
