Hebe “Wiri Prince”
Spikes of violet-purple flowers with white stamens cover this bush in late summer.
Habit:
An erect bushy shrub with long branches, with broad spear-shaped dark green glossy leaves, growing to 1.5M. Like other Hebes this plant can be renewed perpetually as it comes readily from cuttings. H. Wiri Prince is slightly frost tender.
Origins:
Hebes are native to New Zealand, though some are also found in French Polynesia and South America. They are the largest plant genus in New Zealand and all but one of the 90 identified species occur in new Zealand.
This cultivar was raised by Jack Hobbs in 1989 at the Auckland Regional Botanic Garden, New Zealand, as part of a program to breed hebes suitable for the Auckland climate. Hebe ‘Wiri Prince’ came from seed was collected from Hebe ‘Wiri Jewel’, which in turn came from seed collected from open pollinated Hebe speciosa.
Soil / Aspect:
Hebes like free draining soil and are typically found in coastal situations, in lowland scrub and on woodland margins. They do not tolerate shade. In a garden, they should be given space to grow to their fullest extent, without being “leant on” by herbaceous perennials or grasses.
Maintenance:
Hebes do suffer from aphid attacks early in the season, on the new growth. However, they are generally robust plants. Flowering is prolonged my dead-heading each flower spike as it turns to seed. However they must not be pruned back hard, as they will not come again from woody stems.