Hebe Wiri Charm

Hebe Wiri Charm is an easy-to-grow hybrid variety of shrubby Speedwell, relatively hardy and very floriferous. It forms a splendid bush slightly wider than it is tall, with dark green glossy foliage that remains decorative all year round. It also charms with its long summer flowering of pink-purple flower spikes that renew from July to September-October if weather permits. It is a versatile plant that can be grown in many regions with relatively mild winters, due to its tolerance of limestone and poor soils. Hebes are traditionally excellent plants for terraces or coastal gardens, and this one is no exception.

'Wiri Charm' Hebe is a fairly old New Zealand cultivar, obtained for the Auckland Regional Botanic Gardens by Jack Hobbs and introduced to France around 1995. The Wiri Hebes have been selected for their high resistance to foliage diseases, which often occur in humid climates. Like all Hebes, it belongs to the Plantaginaceae family and is related to perennial Speedwells (veronica). It forms a small, regular, airy bush, in a dome shape, about 80 cm (2-3 ft) tall and 1.10 m (3-4 ft) wide on average. Its stems, which lignify with age, bear slim, elongated, medium-sized, thick and leathery dark green leaves. Flowering begins in July and ends in September if the soil remains moist, in the form of branched inflorescences resembling small, 10 cm (4 in) long pyramidal panicles. Each cluster has a light appearance, due to the long stamens that protrude from a multitude of small purple-pink flowers. Pruning is recommended in late winter and after flowering to maintain a compact habit and neat appearance for this shrubby Speedwell.

Hebes have relatively slow growth and are relatively hardy (down to a minimum of -10°C (14 °F) for 'Wiri Charm'). They are generally offered alongside perennial plants as their use is closer to these than to shrubs. The 'Wiri Charm' variety, however, has sufficient growth to be included, in favourable climates, among other flowering shrubs. Its summer flowering goes well with buddleias, in a mix of colours, as does its sometimes silver-tinted foliage. In a coastal garden it can be combined with Escallonias, Myrtus, Oleanders, Evergreen Ceanothus, Callistemons or even mimosas. Elsewhere Hebes can be grown in large pots on terraces, to be stored in a bright, unheated room during winter.