Best Low – Growing Westringia: Low Horizon vs Mundi Westringia

When it comes to choosing the best low-growing Westringia for your landscape, the decision really boils down to two exceptional varieties: Low Horizon™ Westringia and Mundi™ Westringia.

Both of these plants offer unique attributes that make them ideal for different uses and environments. This article aims to guide landscape designers, landscape architects, and home gardeners in selecting the most suitable variety for their needs.

Low Horizon™ Westringia fruticosa ‘WES06’ PBR: The Compact Ornament

Low Horizon™ Westringia stands out as a dense, ultra-compact ground cover. Its low-maintenance nature makes it an excellent choice for those looking to minimise gardening efforts while maximising aesthetic appeal.

Key Characteristics:

• Size and Shape: Low Horizon™ grows to a height of 30 cm and spreads to about 70 cm in width. Its compact form is ideal for tight spaces and borders.
• Ornamental Appeal: This variety is adorned with tons small white flowers, which not only add a touch of elegance but also enhance its ornamental value. It has shorter internodes, meaning it has a tidier, dense appearance. It’s lower-growing than Mundi™ Westringia. I would argue this is the most ornamental low-growing westringia ever bred.
• Maintenance: Occasional pruning can make this plant appear even tighter, adding to its charm. It’s possibly the lowest-maintenance westringia ever bred.

Tolerances: It handles frost and cold well and is drought-tolerant. However, its tolerance to wet feet is still under testing, though I suspect it’s not as tough as Mundi™ Westringia.

Best For:

• Ornamental aesthetic appeal
• Low maintenance
• Border plants
• Gardens in NSW, VIC, SA, WA, ACT, and TAS

Mundi™ Westringia fruticosa ‘WES05’ PBR: The Resilient Beauty

While Mundi™ Westringia may not be as compact as Low Horizon™ Westringia, it offers its own set of strengths that make it highly valuable, especially in challenging environments.

Key Characteristics:

• Size and Shape: Mundi™ reaches a height of 40-50 cm and spreads up to 1.5 metres. Its broader spread makes it ideal for larger areas that need coverage.
• Ornamental Appeal: This variety produces masses of white flowers, providing substantial ornamental value. While not as compact as Low Horizon™, Mundi™ is still highly decorative.
• Maintenance: Mundi™ also requires minimal pruning, making it an attractive option for those seeking low-maintenance solutions. You don’t need to prune it, but if you like the neat and tidy look, go for it.
• Tolerances: Mundi™ excels in tolerating everything that Low Horizon™ does, while also tolerating wet feet, phytophthora, and extremely poor soils. I only know of one other westringia that can tolerate extreme wet, Grey Box™ Westringia. Mundi™ can survive on natural rainfall in most populated areas along Australia’s east coast, making it a tough contender for challenging landscapes that lack both drainage and irrigation.