Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Hebe
Species: H. diosmifolia
Binomial name: Hebe diosmifolia
Hebe diosmifolia is a variable species of an evergreen bushy shrub found in scrub and forest edges to the north of the North Island. It usually growis to about 1 m tall though in some situations with age will grow to 2 m and some times more.
This one of the earliest Hebes to flower in late Winter to early Spring. The flowers are usually mauve, heliotrope or white and form in clusters near the branch tips.
It has green to yellowish-green lanceolate leaves, which tend to lie in one plane; about 1.2 to 2.8 cm long, the edges are sometimes minutely incised.
This Hebe was first found in the Bay of Islands in about 1833 by Richard Cunningham. This variable species is now widely grown in New Zealand.
Photographed at New Plymouth early October.
Photographed at Otari Native Botanic Garden and Wilton's Bush Reserve. Wellington.
Photographed late March
The notched leaves of Hebe diosmifolia
