Showy Hebe

Description:

Hebe speciosa is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common names New Zealand hebe, showy hebe, and showy-speedwell. It is native to New Zealand but it can be found in other parts of the world where it is grown as an ornamental for its showy flowers. This hebe is a shrub reaching heights between one and two meters. Its evergreen leaves are dark green, shiny, and quite thick, usually measuring 2 to 5 centimeters long. The inflorescence is up to 8 centimeters long and densely packed with pale pink to bright magenta flowers. Each flower is just under a centimeter wide and has a short throat spreading into a four-lobed corolla. Two very long stamens protrude from the throat of each flower, giving the inflorescence a whiskery look. The fruit is a capsule containing flat, smooth seeds. Wikipedia

Habitat:

UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens, Berkeley, CA.