Species
Westringia fruticosa
Etymology
fruticosa: shrubby
Common Name(s)
Coastal Rosemary, Morning Light, McKains Puzzle
Authority
Westringia fruticosa (Willd.) Druce
Family
Lamiaceae
Flora Category
Vascular - Exotic
Structural Class
Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs
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
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
This page last updated on 28 Feb 2010