Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Hebe
Species: Hebe karo 'Golden Esk'
Common name: 'Karo Golden Esk'
Hebe ‘Karo Golden Esk’ is a rounded, robust whipcord shrub with spreading crowded of whipcord like branches reaching about 30cm high and up to 80cm wide. The plants has a texture that could be taken for a conifer Its very small anvil shaped closely appressed leaves are almost overlapping, green in summer, yellowish in winter.
Unlike other whipcords hybrids 'Karo Golden Esk' will flower. In spring and summer white flowers (up to 8) are packed densely on terminal inflorescences.
It is a natural hybrid between Hebe odora and Hebe armstrongii, found in 1988 by Dr Brian Molloy near the Esk River on river terraces and bogs in East Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand. Karo is an acronym for ‘known and recorded origin’.
It was given a Royal Horticulture Society Award of garden merit in 1993.
It will grow in sun or semi-shade, best in moist soil and is hardy to cold.
Closeup of the leaves.
