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Marlborough Hebe

Veronica hulkeana

Also called New Zealand Lilac

Marlborough Hebe
Photo: peganum, CC BY-SA 2.0

Marlborough Hebe (Veronica hulkeana, also called New Zealand Lilac) is a cold-hardy shrub from dry, rocky places in the northern South Island of New Zealand, grown for its long sprays of pale mauve flowers in spring. It is easy to grow in well-drained, light soil in full sun.

Family
Plantaginaceae (Plantain family)
Light
Full sun
Water
Water regularly while establishing, then allow the soil to dry out between waterings; it resents waterlogged roots.
Soil
Well-drained, light, sandy or gritty soil.
Temperature
Cold-hardy; tolerates frost, roughly -10 to 30 °C.
How easy
Easy
Native range
New Zealand South I.
Climate
temperate

About

Veronica hulkeana, synonym Hebe hulkeana, the New Zealand lilac, is a species of plant in the Plantaginaceae. Its pale mauve flowers are on long sprays, which develop from the tips of the branches. The dainty flowers, which occur in profusion, last from October until December. The foliage is dark green and shiny. The leaves are elliptic to obtuse in shape and are 7–10 cm long and 2–3 cm wide. This cold-hardy plant is easy to grow, providing it has well drained, light soil and an open, sunny position. Its natural habitat is in dry rocky places in the northern part of the South Island up to an altitude of 900 m.

Other Veronica plants

Speedwell · Veronica pimeleoides · Veronica sect. Hebe · French Speedwell · Green field speedwell · Veronica Recurva · Alpine speedwell · American speedwell · Water speedwell · Leafless-stemmed speedwell · Veronica arcuata · Veronica arenaria

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Veronica hulkeana by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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