Other Names:  Shrubby Veronica

Description:

A low growing, evergreen shrub with erect, upright branches; pointed, gray-green leaves have red edges; dainty, reddish-purple flowers appear in summer; will tolerate some mild frost; performs well in coastal conditions

Ornamental Features

Walter Buccleugh Hebe has masses of beautiful corymbs of violet star-shaped flowers with rose overtones rising above the foliage from early to mid summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. It has attractive grayish green foliage edged in red which emerges light green in spring. The small pointy leaves are highly ornamental and remain grayish green throughout the winter. The red stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Walter Buccleugh Hebe is an open multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Walter Buccleugh Hebe is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Walter Buccleugh Hebe will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. It has a low canopy. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Walter Buccleugh Hebe makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.