Botanical Name: Westringia angustifolia (E)
Commonly Called: Narrowleaf westringia
Botanical Family: Lamiaeae
Grows: This compact, small, woody shrub grows from 1 to 3m high by 1.5 to 2m wide.
Foliage: The narrow, pointed leaves are usually in whorls of 3, dark green and straight, with rolled under edges and the under surface brown and hairy.
Flora: The showy flowers grow singly in the leaf axils near the ends of the branchlets and are very hairy, white to pale lilac with red/brown spots on the 3 lower petals and yellowish marking in the lower throat. The anthers appear to be blue when pollen covered and red or white when the pollen has dispersed, while the stigma look like arrow tips on the ends of the styles and the ovary is deep within the throat tube.
Flowering Season: Flowers appear late in winter and produce a mass display in spring.
Fruiting body: The fruit are four nutlets which don’t split open when mature to release their single seed.
How and where it grows: This is a rare plant, found mostly in dry shrubby understorey from 300-900m.
Where found: The Pipeline Track in and north from the Huon Road, Neika; Snug Tiers near Pelverata Falls; At Pelverata Falls viewing platform; Herring Back Track.
Other notes: This species may be differentiated from other Tasmanian Westringias by its 5 very short calyx lobes and the leaves in whorls of 3 around the stems. Pruning after the flowers have diminished will help to retain its shape. It grows well in moist, well-drained soil in part/full sun, and is best propagated from semi-hardwood cuttings.