Astelia nervosa 'Westland' 23cm / 5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Astelia nervosa 'Westland' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Astelia nervosa 'Westland' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Mountain Astelia (Bush Flax)

Astelia nervosa 'Westland'

£34.99
Protect from hard frostSun-lovingShade-tolerantEvergreen
Pot size
23cm / 5L £34.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Astelia nervosa 'Westland' is the moody, metallic one in the astelia family: arching, sword-shaped leaves overlaid silver and flushed bronze-red, deepening to richer red as the weather cools. The New Zealand mountain astelia, sometimes called bush flax, forms a fountain-like evergreen clump that catches low light like brushed metal, and no phormium can match its sheen.

It is an evergreen, clump-forming perennial to around 75 cm that earns its place twice over: as year-round structure among hardy exotics, and as a colour bridge between silver, purple and green planting. Small pale flower sprays appear in spring, but the foliage is the whole story.

How and where to grow

  • Position: full sun to partial shade, sheltered; colour deepens with light and cold.
  • Soil: fertile and well-drained; moist summers, dry winters is the ideal rhythm.
  • Size: around 75 cm tall and 1 m wide over time.
  • Hardiness: H3, to about -5C. Mulch the crown and keep drainage sharp in colder gardens.

Its salt and wind tolerance make it a natural for coastal and exposed gardens, and established clumps handle dry, gravelled schemes with ease. It is equally at home spilling from a container among our plants for pots. For pure gleaming silver, see its cousin Astelia chathamica 'Silver Spear'.

Nursery-grown plants selected for strong, well-coloured clumps. Read our seasonal expectations guide for honest winter advice.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

Find out more

What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Mountain Astelia (Bush Flax)

Plant me in full sun and protect me when hard frost threatens.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Mountain Astelia (Bush Flax)

Astelia nervosa 'Westland' needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is half-hardy to around −5°C and needs protection from hard frost.

Good for

Architectural Coastal & Exposed Dry & Gravel Gardens Pots & Containers

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Semi-Hardy (H3): down to around −5°C. Half-hardy; reliable in mild or coastal gardens, protect in colder areas.

Rated H3, to around -5C. Reliable in mild and coastal gardens; in colder areas grow it in a pot moved under cover in hard frost, or mulch the crown and keep it on the dry side in winter. Read moreShow less

Rated H3, to around -5C. Reliable in mild and coastal gardens; in colder areas grow it in a pot moved under cover in hard frost, or mulch the crown and keep it on the dry side in winter.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingShelteredExposed
Full sun to partial shade in a sheltered spot. Colour is richest with good light; in hot, dry sun keep the soil moist. Read moreShow less

Full sun to partial shade in a sheltered spot. Colour is richest with good light; in hot, dry sun keep the soil moist.

Soil

LoamSandMoist but well-drainedWell-drainedAcid pHNeutral pH
Fertile, well-drained soil with organic matter. It likes summer moisture but hates sitting wet in winter. Read moreShow less

Fertile, well-drained soil with organic matter. It likes summer moisture but hates sitting wet in winter.

Watering

Water regularly in the first two summers and in dry spells after. Established clumps are surprisingly drought tolerant. Read moreShow less

Water regularly in the first two summers and in dry spells after. Established clumps are surprisingly drought tolerant.

Mature size

Height0.5-1 m
Spread0.5-1 m

Reaches full size in 5-10 years

Growth habit

Tufted

Flowering

Apr-May

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

No cutting back. Remove old, tatty outer leaves at the base in spring; divide congested clumps in spring if wanted.

Toxicity

No reported toxicity to people or pets.

Native range

New Zealand

Family

Asteliaceae

Also known as

Astelia nervosa 'Westland'

Genus

Astelia
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

What conditions does Astelia like?

A sheltered spot in sun or partial shade with fertile, well-drained soil. Astelias enjoy summer moisture but resent winter wet, so drainage is the key to success. They are excellent in coastal gardens alongside our other coastal and exposed-site plants.

How hardy is Astelia nervosa 'Westland'?

It is rated H3, taking around -5C, and interestingly the foliage turns even redder in cold weather. In mild and coastal areas it lives outside year round; in colder gardens mulch the crown, keep winter drainage sharp, and fleece in severe frost. See our seasonal expectations guide.

Can Astelia grow in pots?

Beautifully. The arching metallic foliage spills over the rim of a container, and pot culture lets colder gardens move it under cover in winter. Use loam-based compost with plenty of grit, like our other plants for pots and containers.

Is Astelia a grass?

No, although it reads like an ornamental grass or phormium in a border. Astelia is a clump-forming evergreen perennial from New Zealand in its own family, Asteliaceae. In the wild it often grows as an epiphyte on mossy trees in mountain forest.

How is 'Westland' different from Silver Spear?

Astelia chathamica 'Silver Spear' is pure gleaming silver with broader, more upright swords. 'Westland' is the moodier of the two: silvery leaves washed bronze and red, deepening in cold weather, on a slightly more compact, arching plant.

What problems affect Astelia nervosa?

Very few. Winter waterlogging is the main killer, so plant it with sharp drainage. Cold snaps can scorch leaf tips, which you can trim in spring; new growth soon covers them. Pests largely leave the leathery foliage alone.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

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Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

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All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

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Astelia nervosa 'Westland'
£34.99