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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.
Mundi Westringia hedge pruned
If you like your plants neat and tidy, Mundi ™ Westringia responds well to hedge pruning.

Best For:

  • Tough roadsides
  • Areas with poor soils or high moisture levels
  • Gardens in QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS, SA, WA, and ACT (with some frost protection in ACT)

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Westringia

In summary, both Low Horizon™ and Mundi™ Westringia offer exceptional qualities that cater to different needs:

  • Low Horizon™ Westringia is more compact, has a higher number of flowers, and is slightly more ornamental. It’s perfect for smaller, more controlled spaces and reasonably drained areas that require a dense, attractive ground cover.
  • MundiWestringia is not as compact but is still highly ornamental. Its real strength lies in its resilience, particularly its tolerance to wet feet, phytophthora, and extremely poor soils. This makes it an excellent choice for more challenging environments where other plants may struggle to thrive.

Ultimately, the choice between Low Horizon™ and Mundi™ Westringia will depend on your specific landscape requirements, environmental conditions, and aesthetic preferences. Both varieties promise to deliver beauty and resilience, making them valuable additions to any landscape design.

This material is protected by copyright. Except for use in landscape plans and fair dealing for private study, criticism, or review under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced without written permission. Direct enquiries to Ozbreed Green Life Pty Ltd.

The views expressed may be personal and not official policy. Plants are natural products and may die for various reasons. Ozbreed believes the information is correct at publishing but does not guarantee accuracy or accept liability for inaccuracies or photo colour discrepancies. Images are illustrative and may not reflect the actual product’s size, colour, or appearance.

All information is for general guidance and not a substitute for professional advice. Ozbreed makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the fitness or suitability of any plant or product for a particular purpose. Plant performance may vary based on regional climate, soil type, and other conditions. Users should independently verify the suitability of plants, products, and advice, consulting local experts to determine the best choices for their location.

Some plants may cause allergic reactions or require specific care. Users should research potential allergies, toxicity, or safety concerns before selecting or planting products. Review technical specifications to ensure products or plants meet your requirements. Ozbreed is not liable for how information is used.

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Daniel is a writer and content creator for Ozbreed, one of Australia's leading native and exotic plant breeders.

Daniel has worked in various capacities within the horticulture industry. His roles have ranged from team leader at several companies, to creator of the Plants Grow Here podcast and Hort People job board, as well as his position on the National Council for the Australian Institute of Horticulture (AIH).

He received the Award of Excellence from the AIH in 2013 for his work in horticulture media as well as with TAFE students, and has been nominated again in 2024.

He's passionate about explaining how to care for different types of plants to ensure home gardeners and professional horticulturists alike can get the most out of the plant babies.

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